Fairy Tale Collection
by s2Teennovelist
Summary: Yugi's one chance to flee his wretched life as a miller's son is dashed when his father tells the greedy King he can spin straw into gold: if he can't, he'll die. A mischievous ruby-eyed creature with gold-dusted skin promises Yugi his magical services-for a price. But Yugi has a wager of his own: he wants the imp to teach him magic Rumplestiltskin Rewrite puzzleshipping lemon
1. The Runaway Prince

I'll bet you were all shocked to see this? XD This is a one-shot fairy tale that came to me in a dream while sleeping over my friends house based on one of my favorite Grimm Fairytales a Princess in Disguise, and the dialect came from an old myth I read where a goddess said she was too inexperienced for sex and the dialect stuck in my head, I don't know, but it think it was a Mesopathamian myth or something, but anyway, this idea came to me in a dream and that combined with the emotional break down i had yesterday lead to the birth of this fic.

Yesterday, our dog Blaze passed away. Poor baby was ten years old and had only three legs from when he ran into my grandmother's car and he hadn't been eating for these last few days and wasn't as active as he used to me, and finally we took him to our neighbor who's a vet and he said Blaze has internal bleeding and probably had it for years from his wound but it didn't hit him until now, and anything they could've done would only last two more months and we didn't want him to be in pain. It was his time and he knew it, he kept going to his bush where he used to sleep and just lying there, but finally we had him put to sleep and as heartbreaking as it was, I know he's at peace, and though I miss him, I still have Rocky, our other dog who also knew it was coming and he's a sweety. I miss him, but i know he's in heaven playing with my first dog Sammy on all four legs, but I decided to write this fic for him.

And I'm very proud cause I wrote it in about five-seven hours with breaks for dinner and such in between and edited it in one so I'm very proud of myself.

Dedications: to my bubbala Blaze Reynolds, Rest in Peace baby. I love you.

Disclaimer: Yugi and Yami belong to Takehashi, and the fairy tale a Princess in Disguise in which this story is loosely based off of, (and i stress loosely) is one of the many awesome Fairy tales done my the Brothers Grimm that never achieved fame thanks to Disney, seriously check it out!

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The Runaway Prince

It does not start with once upon a time, like most tales but, like most tales it starts with a death, a woman, and a King.

As it starts, there was once a Prince, who was the sweetest child there was to ever be born, and he was quite a beautiful child with bright eyes, rosy cheeks and his hair was the most unusual, for it was born with three colors: black like the night, red as roses for the tips, and bangs as gold as the sun. And it was that the prince had a mother who was the wife of a King, and she was so beautiful a woman that none on earth could find her equal, and like her son, her beautiful hair was of three colors. However, as it happened, the Queen fell ill. The King called for every doctor and physician to treat his wife but none could cure her of her ailment, and when it came that soon she would die, the Queen took her husband's hands and said "My King, I love you with all my heart," but her voice was low and sad with illness. "And though, I know you are a King and you will one day have to take another Queen, you must promise me that you will not marry her unless she is as beautiful as me and she has three colors in her hair."

No sooner had the King given this promise that she closed her eyes and died. So sad was the King that he vowed not to take another wife, he refused to be comforted, but as the years passed the counselors came to him and said "A King should not remain unmarried, a Kingdom needs a Queen."

At last, the King consented, but so determined was he to keep his promise to his dearly beloved wife, that he refused to marry all the women brought before him unless they were as beautiful as his wife and their hair was three colors. The Counselors sent messengers who searched and searched but none could find a woman as beautiful as the late Queen and even if they did, their hair was either red, or gold or black or brown, none had three colors in them. So the messengers returned without obtaining what they sought.

Now during this time, the Prince had been growing up, and even as a child had promised to be very beautiful just like his mother. While he grew he'd grown quite fond of playing games and so was given the name Yugi which means game. And while he had missed his mother very much, his father had been so sad and searching for a new bride, so the Prince had spent much time with the palace staff who loved him very deeply and cared for him as if they were his own. They had taught him how to cook and how to hunt and which plants could be used to eat, which to cook, which to heal, and which to harm, and how to stitch the holes in his clothes when he came in from the garden covered in mud. They'd taught him how to hunt and how to use a bow and all while he'd learned to outwit his opponents with the games. He played and learned how to read and write and how to learn from books and how to play chess, and all the while the Prince continued to grow until he was as beautiful as his dead mother, whose three colored hair he also shared.

Very soon, as it was when the counselors were called to report their failures, that the King noticed that his son had indeed grown very beautiful and how exactly he resembled his dead wife. At last the King said "Since there is not a woman who has enabled me to fulfill my promise to my wife, I will marry the Prince, for he is as beautiful as she and has three colors in his hair as she."

Now when the counselors heard of this, so shocked was their horror that they immediately protested and said "A King cannot marry his son!"

But the King protested and said "I will marry the Prince, for he fulfils my late wife's promise and he is a King's son. No other can be found to enable me to keep my promise."

Again the council protested and said "It is forbidden for a man to marry his child; nothing but evil will come of it and doom shall befall the Kingdom for such a sin."

The Prince, when the King had heard of his father's proposition, was greatly alarmed and said to his father. "Father, why do you want to marry me, for I may be a King's son but I am your son, you cannot marry me."

But the King would not listen and said. "My promise was to marry one who is as beautiful as my wife and has three colors in her hair. You are the splitting image of my late wife! There is no else who can match her and allow me to keep my promise!"

The Prince was greatly alarmed by his father's response and instead said "But Father, you promised my mother that you would marry a woman, for I am a boy not a woman, you cannot marry me."

The King grew angry as this and said. "I promised I would not take a Queen unless the chosen was as beautiful as my wife and had three colors in her hair; you are the only one in the whole world who is as beautiful as she and has three colors in his hair. There is no law that says a boy cannot be a Queen, as long as I am still King."

The more he saw how resolved the King was to carry out his intention, the more the Prince worried, but he hoped, however, to be able to save his father and himself from such ruin and disgrace. So the Prince cleverly said "Father, I may allow you to enable your promise to my mother and I may be a King's son, but I am also your son, but if you still wish to marry me than I also have a promise to make of you."

The Council was quite alarmed when the Prince said this but the King was quite pleased and said "Very well, tell me what it is you require, for no matter what it is I shall make sure that you have it."

The Prince smiled at this and said "Before we marry I require three coats that must be fit for the wealthiest prince, but one must be as golden as the sun, the second must be as silver as the moon and the third must be as glittering as the stars, and second I must have a mantle made of a thousand skins of the softest fur sewn together and every animal in the kingdom must give a piece of skin towards it." And so resolved was the King that he accepted the requests and set out to accomplish them.

"Uh-ah!" said the Prince. "I have asked for impossible things, now my father will never marry me and he will be forced to give up his wicked intentions."

And the council, so pleased by the Prince and his clever challenge, rejoiced and hoped that their King would give up on these quests and cease his horrible plan.

However, the King was not to be diverted from his purpose and set out his messengers to find the best and grandest weavers in all the land, and once they were found he brought them to his treasure drove and ordered them to melt the gold and silver and jewels and to weave them into threads which would then be used to make the three coats that would befit the beautiful prince: one was to be as golden as the sun, one as silver as the moon and the other as glittering as the stars. And so the weavers set to work melting and hammering the gold and silver and jewels and dying their fabrics in their colors and set to work making the Prince's coats. Then the King hired every hunter in the Kingdom and promised to reward them richly if they would go into the forests and kill one animal and brings home its skin, and when it was done he promised to reward them so if they would bring home a different animal than the ones already hunted until they could find no more kinds that had not been killed and the King ordered the furs to be sewn together into a mantle for the Prince.

When they were all finished the King went to the Prince's room and laid them out before him: a liquid gold velvet sewed into a frockcoat studded with bright buttons and appliquéd with blue and green flames that curled like peacock feathers and looked just like the sun; a shiny, silver silk decorated with black buttons and trimmed with white fur that shined just like the moon; a shiny obsidian frockcoat that glittered different colors when it moved, and had black, white, gold and silver crystals sewn into the back and down the train in different constellations, ripped ruffles of purples and red and blues along the sleeves and neck like the sunset falling into the starry night, and finally a large mantle sewn with perfect patches of softened fur in one-thousand colors from every kind of animal the Prince had ever seen. At the sight of them the Prince despaired.

"Tomorrow we shall marry," the King said and left the Prince to prepare. Knowing that there was no way to change his father's heart, the Prince took the three coats and ran down to the kitchens and said goodbye to the palace hands who'd been so good to him and told them he was running away. Though they were so sad to see their Prince leave they gave him a huge and wished him luck, and gave him three things: a crystal jug, an archer's bow, and a basket of threads and needles. And so the Prince took the items, said goodbye to his family, donned the fur mantle, stained his face and hands black with walnut juice and fled into the woods.

Now the Prince decided that he would not longer call himself a prince and decided he would be called Yugi. Yugi traveled all night and into the dawn until he was very far from home and came into the woods where he suddenly became very tired from his travels. Soon, Yugi found a huge tree whose inside was hollow and warm, and he crept inside, removed his night clothes and washed off the walnut juice, wrapped himself in the fur mantle and went to sleep. When he woke up again he decided to make the tree his home and set to work gathering food to eat, water to drink, and materials to make clothes to wear. He traveled until he found a river and filled the jug with the fresh water. He used the archers bow and after several tries he managed to kill a deer which he brought home and skinned and cooked its meat and stored the rest for later by burying it underground, and he soaked its fur and tanned its hide and used it to make a shirt and pants for himself using the basket of needles and threads.

And though Yugi worked very hard and his life in the woods was very lonely, he enjoyed it so. At night his fur mantle kept him warm, and his hallow tree kept him safe from predators. He would talk to the birds in the trees, eat the berries and vegetables that grew in the woods, and played with the small creatures that came to look upon him curiously, for he always wore his mantle and they thought him to be one of them. But Yugi's life was lonely and he missed his friends, the palace workers, who were so kind to him, and missed playing games with them and sometimes he missed them so much he cried himself to sleep, but he knew he could not go back to his Kingdom, or else his father would force them to marry.

Now while Yugi lived in the woods, there was a King, named Yami, of whom the woods belonged to and whose home was on the edge of the forest and because he loved the woods, and loved the animals that lived there so much he forbid anyone from hunting in the woods without his permission, but they could still gather the berries, pick the vegetables and get water from the streams, and wood from the trees. And as it was, when those who had permission to hunt in the Kings woods would go there, to pick the berries that grew on the bushes, or gather the vegetables, or fill their barrels with water from the stream, that more than once they would see the animals flocking and to their horror they would see a strange creature with fur from every kind of animal that had ever been seen. Sometimes they would follow it and see the creature shoot arrows from its fur to kill its prey, but they would also see him playing with the smaller animals, and so strange was the creature in the woods that the townsfolk would talk and rumors soon fell through the castle until even the King himself had heard tales of this creature.

Now the King of this forest was a very wise and kind but fierce King whom all his life he'd been raised by his father to rule and his mother to respect the natural world. He was a handsome King with strong eyes as red as the rose, sharp golden cheeks and his hair was like a crown of black and red fire and trimmed with gold. Though the King was kind and ruled his Kingdom justly, he was a lonely King who wished for a Queen to share his love of the forest and the Kingdom with, but there was no who satisfied him. Oh the council had brought many beautiful princesses before him but they all liked pretty dresses and jewels and did not like the forests of animals, or if they said they did the King could see that they were simply lying to please him, and so the King remained a lonely King, sharing his love with the creatures who lived in the forest. And so it happened that when the King heard of this strange creature who was larger than a wolf but smaller than a bear, and who had the fur of every animal in its pelt, and he set out into the forest with his hunters to find this creature.

Now Yugi had removed his mantle and went to the stream to clean his hands and face when he heard the sound of hounds, so overcome with terror was he, that he jumped into the river and hide in the reeds and watched. When the hounds had found his fur, they sniffed it but found not the creature it belonged to, and when the hunters and the King had found it, they too were baffled as to why this fur was here and not the creature, but so soft was the fur coat and so colorful from all the creatures who had contributed it to it that the King said. "What a beautiful fur this is, surely I cannot leave it here, so I shall take it with me to the castle and place it on my bed."

Now Yugi, who had heard everything from the reeds, had grown very fond of his mantle and did want to part with it so, thinking quickly, he swam to the side of the stream and grabbed his jug of water that he had been filling and uncorked the bottle then he swam to another side of the stream and threw the water so that it landed on the King, his hounds and his hunters. When they turned to see what had splashed them so, Yugi grabbed his fur mantle, threw it over himself, and ran into the woods.

The King had dropped the fur but he had heard the creature leave the water, but when he had turned to see the creature it had already donned its skin and fled into the forest before the King could follow. "Can this Rough-skinned creature remove its fur?" The King wondered.

The next day, the King returned to the woods with his hunters and his hounds and resolved to find Roughskin, as the creature was soon called, in the woods. Now Yugi was in the woods searching for his next meal and had killed a rabbit with his bow and arrow, but as he removed his mantle so he could skin the creature for its meat, he heard the hounds coming and so he abandoned his kill and hid in the thicket. When the hounds found the skin again they sniffed and sniffed but found not the creature it belonged to. Again, the King did not want to leave the fur behind and said "If Roughskin does not want its fur than I shall take it with me and use it for me bed."

When Yugi heard this he became very angry, for he was very fond of his fur coat and so he took his bow and he took his arrow and he fired it has far and as high as it could go and when the hounds heard it they took off after it and the hunters after the hounds. When the King had dropped the fur and turned to see the commotion, Yugi rushed from the thicket, grabbed his fur, put it on and rushed into the woods, but this time the King chased after him. "Come back Roughskin!" The King called but he would not and soon Yugi had escaped him by climbing into a tree before the King could catch him. When the King resolved to return with his hunters Roughskin was already gone.

"Can Roughskin take off his fur, but still run and climb?" The King wondered.

Finally on the third day, the King went back into the woods but this time he did not take his hunters or his hounds, instead he went on his own and resolved to find little Roughskin and bring him back to the palace. However, as he searched, Yugi was sitting on a stump fixing a hole in his clothes when he heard someone coming, and when he turned he saw the King had found him, so transfixed was the King with this strange creature with fur like every creature but a human face that he did not notice the fallen log in front of him. When the King stepped into the thicket, he stumbled over the log and cut his arm on the sharp branch. The King screamed in pain and tried to stop the bleeding but it would not. He had expected Roughskin to run away but instead he approached the King and from his fur he pulled a jug of water and poured it over the King's wound and then proceeded to use a needle and a thread to sew the King's wound as tightly as he could.

"Thank you," said the King, but Roughskin said nothing and instead he gathered his things and turned to run.

"Wait!" The King called for he did not have the strength to chase the creature, but he knew if he did not speak fast little Roughskin would runaway. Thinking quickly, the King said "I wanted to invite you to a festival at the palace tomorrow night."

"Festival?" said Roughskin.

"Yes," the King smiled "It will be three nights long, will you come?"

Roughskin said nothing, but nodded his head and escaped back into the forests. Though the King was sad to see him go, he looked at his wound and said. "Can Roughskin only take off his skin at night but still climb, trees, carry water and sew?" the King wondered but he smiled and rushed home to prepare a festival, hoping that Roughskin would come.

In his tree home, Yugi wanted so very much to go to the festival for he hadn't been to one in so long, so he threw off his mantle, washed the stains from his face and hands, and scrubbed and brushed his hair so his full beauty appeared in the night. He donned the gold frockcoat, and traveled down the path, where he left his mantle, and followed the company into the palace, where he presented himself as a visitor. No one recognized him as the creature they called Roughskin, and told the King of his arrival.

Now the King had hoped that Roughskin would come but when he heard of his new visitor his curiosity grew and he went to see him. When he saw him, he received him before anyone else could, offered his hand and asked "Will you dance with me little one?"

And Yugi said "I would like to very much."

And as they danced the King thought in his heart "My eyes have never seen anyone so beautiful before, but he seems so familiar."

Then the King asked "Do you like the forest my dear, for I do love it very much."

And Yugi said "Why yes, I love the woods very much, for I was raised to know which plants were used to cook, which to heal, and which could do harm, and where was safe and where was not, and how to hunt and how to play, so yes I love the forest very much."

The King read his eyes and could see that he was no lying in them, so he said "Indeed, where are you from, little one?" But the boy would not answer, instead when the dance had ended, he bowed to the King and before the King could look around he was gone. However, the King followed him and watched him flee into the woods and when he went after him all he could find was a beautiful shiny gold frockcoat with shiny buttons and blue and green flames curled about the trail like peacock feathers.

"Could he be Roughskin?" the King pondered. "Can Roughskin only take off his skin at night?" And the King took the coat and returned to the castle to plan the next day.

The next night, Yugi prepared for the festival just as before only this time he donned the silver coat with white fur on the cuffs and trim of his tail and traveled down the path where he left his mantle, and followed the company into the palace. Again the King was told of his arrival, and immediately he came to receive him, and did so with great pleasure. While the dancing continued the King kept him as his partner.

"I missed you, little one," said the King as they danced.

"Thank you," said Yugi.

"Who art though little one?" The King asked and Yugi said "I am but a child without father or mother."

"Then how is it you came to my castle?" The King asked.

"I came with the company," said Yugi.

"And do you like this Kingdom, little one?" asked the King.

"I like it very much" said Yugi. "It reminds me of my home, where the castle workers would cook me treats, and play gamed with me, and show me to hunt, and gather, and stitch and where I was very much loved and loved in return."

The King searched his eyes but again saw no lie in them so again he asked. "Indeed and where are you from, little one?" But once again Yugi did not answer, and when the ball ended he disappeared so quickly that the King had almost missed him leaving. Again, the King followed him into the woods but again lost him and found nothing but the beautiful silver coat trimmed with white fur that shinned liked the moon. Again, the King picked it up and wondered "Could he be Roughskin? He must only be able to take his skin off at night! Surely he has been cursed to remain a beast during the day!" The King concluded and took the coat back with him, determined not to lose Roughskin again.

On the night of the King's third ball, just as before Yugi prepared and donned his glittering coat of stars, and quickly he followed the company into the palace, where the King was graciously waiting to receive him, and once again they danced all night and when the songs changed neither would change their partner. And while they were dancing the King thought he had never seen so beautiful a creature in all his life and he asked "Tell me little one, what would you do if you had found a wounded man in the woods?"

Yugi was confused by his question and said, "I would pour water on the wound to keep it clean and then I would sew it tight so the bleeding would stop and it would heal."

"And tell me, what if it was a crime to hunt an animal in the woods?"

Again Yugi was confused but said. "I would go to the King who owned the woods and say, 'My King I love animals just as you, but I need to hunt for food, so I shall take only what I need and I shall used all the animals meat, and use its fur for clothes, and I would use its bones to make soup,' so nothing goes to waste."

"And if the King gave you his permission to hunt what would you do?" the King asked.

"I would take only what I need, take all the animals meat, use its fur for clothes and uses its bones to make soup" Yugi said.

Again the King read his eyes and could see no lie in them, but while Yugi spoke he did not see the King slipping a ring about his finger whose gem was so shiny and bright they say it was made from a fallen star and that it would shine even in the darkest night.

"And tell me little one, where are you from?" The King asked, but Yugi again did not answer.

However, this time when the dance ended, the King did not let Yugi go and instead asked. "Are you the Rough-skinned creature I met in the woods who is cursed to only appear this way at night?"

So shocked was Yugi by his question that he pulled his hand away and sprang so quickly among the people that he vanished from the room, but again the King gave chase and followed him into the woods. Yugi stumbled and ran out of breathe into the woods, but he knew the King was close behind and did not have time to remove his glittering coat, so he threw his fur mantle over it and fled into the woods, but he had forgotten to cover his face and his hands and so the ring on his finger still shined brightly. When the King followed into the woods he saw no coat but instead he saw the shine of the star-ring and instead followed it deeper and deeper until it vanished from sight.

It was here the King came upon an enormous tree, and he investigated it, searching for away inside. At this time Yugi, who had hid inside his tree, removed his mantle and took off his coat, but before he could put back on his fur clothes, the King had found the knothole in the tree and climbed up its roots, just in time to see Yugi cover himself with his mantle and was so full of terror he cried and hid "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

And so the King stayed still not wanting to scare the little creature, and so now he could see that the fur little Roughskin wore was not but a coat, and that the boy was not but a boy more beautiful than any he has ever seen, with pretty purple eyes, rosy cheeks and hair that was three colors just like his.

"I mean you no harm, little one," said the King smiling. "I simply wanted to see if you were the little Rough-skinned creature who saved me that night and outwitted me the two days before, but now I see you are not a cursed creature but a boy more beautiful than any I have ever seen."

Yugi blushed at this and saw that revealed in all his splendor, he felt he could no longer conceal who he truly was so when the King asked "Where do you come from little Roughskin," he said "I was a prince from a far away kingdom, raised and taught by the castle hands. I ran away because my father made a promise to my mother on her deathbed that he would not marry unless his new queen was as beautiful as her and had hair was three colors just like hers, and when no woman could be found who could enable my father to fulfill his promise to my mother he decided that I, who was the splitting image of her and possessed her three-colored hair and was the son of a king, shall marry him, and though I tried to thwart him of is wicked quest with impossible tasks, he completed each one and finally I learned I could not change my father's heart and so I was forced to flee. I traveled all day and all night, until I came to your forest and made a home for myself here in this tree and hunted the creatures, but only what I needed for food and their fur, and gathered the berries from the bushes and vegetables from the ground and water from the river and made this place my home."

And the King listened to his story and as he did his heart yearned more and more for this brave and clever creature who had struggled so much and fought so hard to free himself from such a disgrace as being a bride to his father.

"You are so very strong and very brave, little Roughskin," said the King, "Tell me why did you not come to my Kingdom then?"

And Yugi said "This is my home and I like it very much."

And the King asked "Then why did you come to my festival, though I had hoped you would for I've wished to meet you since I first saw you by the stream."

Yugi blushed and said "It is lonely living in the woods, I missed having friends to talk to and play games with, and I wanted to see you again, since you tried to take my fur which I am quite fond of."

The King frowned and said "I am sorry, little Roughskin, I did not know it belonged to you." Yugi nodded and the King smiled that he had been forgiven and asked "Tell me, little Roughskin if you were lonely than why did you flee from me so?"

Yugi did no answer and wanted to run away but he could not and instead said "You looked at me the way my father looked at me when he said that I would marry him, and I did not want to marry him, but so resolved was he that my wishes did not matter to him."

When the King saw the tears in his eyes and the fear in his heart, so shocked was he that he wanted nothing more than to hug this little creature and sooth his tears, but he did not for fear he would scare him away. Instead, he told him firmly. "I would never do that to you, little Roughskin. I would never force you to marry me if you did not wish too, but please tell me, do you truly dislike me?"

Yugi looked at him and saw how sad the King looked and remembered how kindly he's been to him when they danced and when they spoke and said "No, you have been very kind to me, I do not dislike you, but I do not know who you are."

That made the King smile but instead he added "Forgive me little, Roughskin but the nights I questioned you I wanted to see if you were the little creature who saved me and outwitted me in the woods, and I wanted to see if you truly loved the woods, and loved the trees, and loved the animals, and loved my Kingdom as much as me, for I have not found anyone else who has."

Yugi smiled and said "You know quite a bit about me, but I know not about you,"

The King nodded and said "I am the King who owns these woods, I was taught to rule by my father and by my mother to respect the forest and I loved it so much that I forbid hunting in the woods without permission, but I live a lonely life as a just King. For I try to make my people happy and protect my woods but I've always longed to find a Queen to share my Kingdom with me, but all the candidates brought before me prefer jewels and dresses to walks in the forests and so saddened was I that I would never find one who was my equal until the hunters told me stories of a strange creature who lived in my woods and so curious was I that I thought I must see this creature but all my hounds found was his fur, and so beautiful was the fur I could not leave it behind. But twice I had been outwitted by this very creature so I thought surely he must be a cursed being who can only remove its fur and night and again when I found the creature so transfixed was I by its beauty, that I could not see the log and so when I cut my arm, it tended to my wound and so grateful was I, I invited him to my festival so that I may meet him, but instead I met a beautiful being who so similar was he to the creature I met and oh, behold my heart he loved the woods and the kingdom as much as me and I knew I'd found my equal, and I wanted nothing more than to find him and so maybe he could fall in love with me as I have fallen for him."

Yugi listened to the words and smiled and felt tears at how, like he the King had been so lonely and searching for an equal who would be kind to him and loved all that he did and so happy was he when the King said he would not force him to marry that Yugi crept closer to him, holding his mantle tight to cover his skin that he said "Such kindred spirits are we I think fate has plaid a trick on we."

And the King laughed and said "Little one, will you let me earn your heart as you have earned mine, I will not make you come with me, but oh it would make me so happy if I would so I could see you more."

Yugi smiled and crept closer to the King, and the King could see his eyes held a special gleam, and he could recognize the game in his eyes. Yugi said "Are you sure you want to see me, My King? I am but a rough furred boy living in the woods, a King's son I may be, but I am no longer a prince."

"It matters not to me if you are the son of a king or the son of a beggar, I would love you anyway so long as you truly loved me, and the woods and my kingdom as much as I do" The King said stroking Yugi's cheek.

"Are you sure you want to see me, My King?" Yugi asked again "You said you would not force me to marry you, would you wait for me to say yes?"

"I would always wait for you" said the King.

"Even if you waited for years and years?"

"I would wait a hundred years if it took that long for you to fall in love with me," said the King and Yugi could see no lie in his eyes.

"Are you sure you want to see me my King?" Yugi asked again. "I like my home in the woods, if I married you would you let me live in my hollow home."

The King paused but said "I would be very sad that you did not wish to stay with me, but I would only want you to be happy, if staying in the woods made you happy, than I would rule from my castle during the day, but I would come and stay with you at night." Again Yugi read his eyes but could see no lie in them, he could see that the King would be sad if he could not be with him, but he would be happy only if Yugi were happy and so overcome was he that Yugi snuggled closer to his King and kisses his cheek.

The King smiled and rubbed his cheek in Yugi's hair and admired the three pretty colors and asked "Will you come with me, my little Roughskin? Will you be my dear bride?"

Again Yugi smiled but in his eyes there was a gleam and he said. "Are you sure you want to marry me my king, my lips are small they know not how to kiss."

At this the King smiled and tiled his little one's chin and said "If you will let me, I shall teach them how to kiss," and he asked "Will you let me teach them how to kiss?"

"Yes." Yugi said and closed his eyes and the King leaned forward and enclosed his lips over his little one's and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. Deeper and deeper their kiss became until his little one's arms wrapped around his neck and his wrapped around his little one's sides and he they held the other close, and each time they broke away they would kiss each other again never being apart for too long.

And when they broke away the King asked "Will you come with my little Roughskin? Will you be my dear bride?"

Yugi smiled at the King and lowered his mantle with a gleam in his eyes and said "Are you sure you want to marry me, my King, my hands are small, my chest is thin, they know not how to touch."

At this the King smiled and removed his coat and his shirt and took his little ones hands and said "If you will let me, I shall teach them how to touch," and he leaned forward, pressed his forehead to his little one's, and asked "Will you let me teach them how to touch?"

"Yes," Yugi said and closed his eyes and let the King move his hands to his chest while the King's own rubbed and ghosted up Yugi's side, and Yugi broke the kiss and moan and laugh when they touched a ticklish spot. Yugi copied the King's hands and rubbed his hands up the King's sides and over his strong chest and massaged his biceps and smiled when he heard the King moan and smile at him. Carefully the King laid him down upon the fur mantle and his lips moved to kiss Yugi's neck, then his collar, then his chest and down his stomach but never going lower than the mantle, not without Yugi's permission. Yugi giggled at the touches and laughed. He rolled up and ran his hands up and down the curve of the Kings' spine and pulled himself up so they were closer to each other and when their hands had moved around their bodied they clasped together and the two laughed and kissed again.

And Yugi asked "Are you sure you want to marry me, my King," and he pulled his hands and removed the furred mantle from his form revealing himself in all his naked splendor and said "My body is too small, it knows not how to copulate."

And the King smirked and removed his remaining clothes and held his little one in his arms and said "Then if you wish I shall teach you how to copulate," and he kissed Yugi's forehead, looked deep into his eyes and asked "Will you let me teach you, my little one? Will you let me make love to you?"

And Yugi smiled and said "Will you tell me your name?"

The King nodded and said "My name is Yami, little one. Will you tell me yours?"

Yugi smiled and said "My name is Yugi." He leaned up and kissed his King and returned his hold and said "Will you teach me how to make love, my King?"

"Yes," the King said, and laid his little one down on their blanket of furs and wrapped themselves in its soft splendor and continued to kiss and hold all the while Yami's hands strokes Yugi's sides and kissed his hips, and petted the gentle curves of his legs and thighs, and smoothed the junction between his pelvis and thighs, and kissed his stomach, all while Yugi giggled and moaned and massaged the King's arms and back and pulled him close.

And Yami laid him down and pressed his strong, hard body against Yugi's soft and pale one and kissed his lips so deeply they were lost in their love, and gently, ever so gently, the King slid his hips into his little Roughskin's thighs. No. Not Roughskin, Yugi, his little Yugi, he realized and carefully he merged his body with that of his little ones. When came the sharp ache that followed one's first entering, Yugi screamed and cried and held fast to his King, as Yami held him tight, and rubbed his back and kissed his cheeks and whipped away his tears and promised him pleasure if only he would relax and hold his King. And Yugi did relax and loosened his grip on the King and lied down and let Yami kiss him, and the King held still and hugged Yugi tight and waited. And only when Yugi moved his hips and asked the King to continue what happened next did the King kiss his cheeks and move his hips.

Carefully and slowly, he pulled himself free and pushed deeply into his little's one's warmth. Oh, how he loved it when he heard his little one relax into each thrust and sigh in pleasure with each touch. Deeper and deeper he pushed and Yugi lifted his hips and pushed against him two and the more they moved the deeper their love-making become. The deeper it became the faster they moved, and oh, the King loathed to pull away from his lover, for he missed the gentle warmth and completion he only felt when fused with his lover, and oh, how Yugi whimpered when the King pulled back and freed himself from his body, leaving him feeling empty and unsatisfied, and oh, how they screamed and moaned when they found one another again and how they rejoice as they became one. Faster and faster they moved, wanting so desperately to keep the distance between them as limited as possible.

Together they made love, they pushed and pulled, moaned and screamed and whispered their sweet nothings and screamed their love to the heavens, all while they pounded away, making love again and again wrapped in the warmth of their fur blanket and in the safe seclusion of their forest tree. And when they finally become one, they cried and came together with a cry and oh, how Yugi jumped when he felt the essence of his King filling his insides, but the King held him fast and soothed him with promises of love and stroked his skin and assured him that he was now a part of his little one just as Yugi was a part of him, and he gathered Yugi's own essence and drank every drop, making them equals in every way. And so happy were they to have finally become one that they fell asleep like that, still conjoined in a way that only lovers can be and wrapped in their warm blanket of fur.

The next day when the morning came, they slept wrapped in the other's arms and still conjoined, until at last the noon sun peeked through the cracks of their tree and Yugi awoke and found himself resting in the arms of the slumbering King and so happy was he that he could not resist but kiss his King in his sleep. With that one stolen kiss, he stole another and another, kissing his cheeks, his neck, his collar, until finally Yami's arms wrapped around his waist and so shocked was he that he yelped in surprise. Yami rolled them over and proceeded to litter his little one's face with kisses. Yugi giggled and laughed and hugged his King.

"Oh my little one, will you marry me? Will you be my dear bride?" the King asked again, but this time Yugi did not hesitate, and said with tears of joy "Yes, my King I will marry you and be your bride and you shall be my loving husband."

Again they shared their promises of love, and petted the other's skin and stroked their backs and kissed their lips and again they rolled over, until they found they were still fused as one and carefully, little Yugi lifted his hips so King Yami's pride all but slipped out and pressed himself back down again. Yami moaned and smiled and held his nervous little one and whispered his love in Yugi's ears as he bobbled up and down in his lap, wanting to make love to him again, but when their passion grew deeper and stronger and Yugi screamed from the pleasure and found he could not keep himself up right, his Yami was there to catch him and rolled them over and gave his little one a proud and encouraging smile and proceeded to push his pride between the folds of entering his little one's body and oh, how Yugi missed the feeling of them being one and moving against the other. They made love again and again, moving in a special dance the only loves knew: a King coupling with his Queen, a new bride granting her groom the gift of her virtue, two lovers making love and sealing an ancient promise of unity through the most powerful and bonding of ways.

Again they laughed, they screamed, they moaned, they cried and rolled over and proceeded to make love to each other again into the night. Quicker and quicker King Yami thrusted and deeper and deeper Yugi pushed and pulled. They made love again and again and when they came together again they screamed, but they did not want to stop and instead made love again until well into the night when their strength had finally left and when they found each other a final time, Yami drank every drop of his little bride's seed and Yugi held fast not letting a drop of his King escape his body.

They kissed again and fell asleep in the other's arms, lips smiling in pure bliss, wrapped in their blanket of fur.

And when the morning came it had been nearly two nights and a day since the King ventured into the woods and the people were beginning to worry, and so the Hunters and their hounds fled into the woods to find their King. But when the morning had come the King was already awake with his new bride, and so happy were they that they quickly dressed: Yami in his ballroom costume and Yugi in his glittering coat. Together they left the tree wrapped in their coat of furs, and Yami scooped his new bride into his arms and started back towards the castle, and they laughed and smiled and that was how the Hunters had found them.

"My King," they called. "Are you alright?"

"I am blissfully happy," said King Yami and he held his Yugi up in his arms so he was on Yami's shoulders and said "I have found my bride who I love with all my heart and who loves me and we shall be married on the 'morrow."

So happy was the Kingdom to hear this news that they flocked for miles around to see their beloved King and his new bride, who was as beautiful as his heart was kind. Their wedding was met with joyous celebration, and when the priest had read them their vows and asked if there were any objections to the union, the crowd gasped in horrified shock when one stood up to protest the match. And the courtiers turned to see and old man, who donned the crown and costume of a king, come forward and stared at the angry couple and said. "That boy is _my_ bride, who ran away on the eve of our wedding even after all the gifts I promised him were met: a coat as golden as the sun, a coat as silver as the moon, a coat as glittering as the stars, and a mantle made from a thousand furs. The morning of our wedding, I came to his room and found him gone believing he did not want to marry, and here I find him about to marry someone else, well I will not have it, come now, little one, we will go home, for if you are to marry anyone it shall be me your first and true groom."

Horrified by these words the court began to talk and rumors quickly spread and so terrible they feared this runaway bride had tempted their King into a forbidden love when he was promised to another. So angry was King Yami that this man would come and ruin their wedding day, for he saw the truth in Yugi's eyes and had no doubt who this man was, but before he could, it was the bridegroom Yugi who raised a hand and looked at his King.

And the room went silent, as Yugi, in the coat as glittering as the stars, stepped down from the isle and glared at the man and said "I'm afraid you have not spoken the whole truth, _Father_." With that final word the church roared with gasps of horror. "Yes, you demanded that I marry you, and I fled because I did not want to marry you but that is not why I fled. I fled because when I gave you those tasks I thought them impossible and hoped in time you would come to your senses and see the sinfulness of your requests to marry a boy, who while beautiful as your wife and whose hair was three colors, was the son of your wife and therefore your son and that even God himself would not allow such an evil as for a Father to marry his son. But you saw not the error in your ways, only of fulfilling your promise to my dead mother, but never once did you stop to realize that your wish, however, noble in your intent to fulfill your wife's deathbed promise, was a horrid corruption of her words, but I did and that is why I fled. I fled because I knew that if you truly pursued your intent to make your son your Queen, even if he fulfilled your obligation, that your wife, for whom is his mother, would never forgive you."

Struck by the words and by the terrible fear of his late wife hating him for his marriage, even if it kept his promise to her, that the old King could not speak.

And so Yugi continued "I will not marry you father, I was never to marry you, it is forbidden for a father to marry his son, and I love the King Yami, and I have already promised to be his bride and we are married and if you still continue to pursue this sinful act than I will not have you!" So fierce was his tone that the old King could not speak and instead he turned and left the church with no other word.

And Yugi, who was so relieved it nearly made him sick as though he would collapse. Instead, the King lifted him into his arms spun him around and said "You were brilliant my little one," and kissed his lips. The priest completed their vows and all the church and Kingdom erupted in cheers as they were finally married and returned to their castle where they proceeded to consummate their love once more and where they kissed and held the other close and kept the furred mantle that had sparked their fateful meeting upon their bed, and kept it close when the nights were cold, and the days were rough and their health waned, but together they stayed, and close they kept the other in their hearts, even when parted and through the fruits of their love, they ruled their Kingdom justly and happily and protected their woods and there was not one member born in their kingdom who did not know their tale. The tale of their brave and clever Queen who cured the lonely heart of their King, and of their strong-willed and determined King who never gave up on finding his lover and who loved and treasured his bride more than anything else in this life.

And in the morning after celebrating their wedding night, they promised to live happily and love the other until their deaths.

And they did.

* * *

I am so proud of this story ^-^ Obviously, its done in a different style than my usual stuff, but I wanted to keep to the traditional fairy tale style but I still wanted to keep my own personal style, and I think I pulled it off ^-^ I'm so proud!

I love Grimm fairy tales, they're dark and weird and bizarre and they have so many strong female characters (the original Cinderella was a total badass, not the week crying girl locked in a room waiting for a fairy god mother to granter her wishes like in the film and the Cinderella and a Glass Slipper made remake) and there are so many of their fairy tales that would make awesome stories and movies, but sadly they never get the attention they deserve, the Princess in disguise is one of my favorites so i wanted to give it some attention, but being the hopeless romantic and emotionally driven young woman I am who still believes in true love with all her soul, i sought to expand this story and make it as true love as a i could and the ending, where Yugi talks back to his father is of my own invention, it didn't happen in the original tale but I strongly believe that it should've and let's face it how awesome was Yugi?

As always read, review, comment critique, ask questions, comment and go nuts. This is a One-shot by the ay and the first thing i ever wrote that was less than 20 pages outside poetry! XD (13 on Microsoft word in Font 12 Times New Roman) Woohoo!

Also don't forget you can still vote on my poll for a max of five stories (and PLEASE vote for the top five, cause some poeple have been picking only one or two and I REALLY want to know the top five) Thanks!


	2. The Boy in The Tower

Hey everyone! Not the update you were all expecting but its been in my head for weeks and I haven't been able to work on anything else so I wrote it out and Wa-la!

19 notebook pages front and back, and 12 typed pages, this story took me only a few days to write cause my BFF was up for the weekend YAY! and i was up until 4 am yesterday writing it out and spent all day typing it. Surprisingly, it didn't take that long to type, only a few hours including dinner, watching movies and helping with groceries so I am very proud of my self, and even more my bets and good friend Bakurafangurl got it back to me in under a few hours!

So This story is loosely based on the Grimm version of Rapunzal and the fairy tale believed to be its origin story the persion tale Rudaaba, And i decided that every time I do a story like this I would gather it together in what is now called The Fairytale Collection, formally titled, the Runaway Prince, so now each chapter will be the title of the story and they will all be collected here. Also it will be labeled complete cause I have no ides when exactly I will update this or if I will, sense i only write these when i get inspired, so yeah ^-^

Disclaimer: Yugioh and all its characters belong to Kazuki Takehashi, the plot of this story is based on the Persian tale Rudaba and the Grimm classic Rapunzal but of course i threw in my own twist, but I own nothing.

Dedications: To Bakurafangurl who betaed this for me and got it back super fast ans for being such a fantastic friend ^-^ I love you girl!

WARNINGS: Yaoi and malexmale relationships, slightly girly Yugi (its a Rapunzel fic so, yes, Yugi will have long hair), mentioned of m-preg

Now without further ado...

* * *

The Boy in the Tower

Do you know the story of the old tower lost in the woods, the one so far but oh so near to the old castle in the woods where used to grow a magical garden owned by a very foolish old king? Of course I know that tale, it is the story of the origin of the King's bride? Yes, but the story does not start with our beloved Queen does it? Oh no, it starts much earlier than that, where there once was a Kingdom where ruled an Old King. And this King had a daughter who was very beautiful, so beautiful that all who beheld her fell deeply in love with her but none of her suitors could win the approval of the Old King Solomon.

But while she was very beautiful, the King's daughter was also very vain and very used to getting her way, so it happened that she soon grew angry with the Old King and wanted to marry. Now in the back of her room was a window which looked over the most beautiful garden full of the finest vegetables and flowers but whom no one dared to enter for it belonged to the Old King where he was rumored to grow magical herbs and flowers and who protected his garden with a high wall and who not even his daughter was allowed to enter. Now in this garden was a special plant with flowers that bloomed as golden as the sun, rich black leaves and purple of berries like drops of jewels that the King's Daughter greatly desired, and so she told her suitors that whoever could get her that beautiful herb and its beautiful flowers and pretty leaves and sweet berries would become her husband. But the Old King was a Sorcerer of great and terrible might and whom the entire world feared. Even the bravest of princes and boldest of kings dared not enter the Old King's garden for fear of his wrath.

There was, however, a man who was very much in love with the king's daughter for he had seen her from her bedroom window staring longingly into the garden and one day he stood beneath her window and promised to claim the flower for her if she would consent to become his wife, and she agreed.

So when twilight game, the man snuck away into the Old King's garden where he found the herb glowing pretty and blue in the moonlight and he gathered a handful of the herb the King's daughter described, and plucked its beautiful golden flowers, its pretty night colored leaves and its sweet red berries, and climbed back over the wall and returned to his lover's window at dawn and presented her with the treat. And the King's daughter was so delighted she made the leaves and petals into a salad and ground the berried into juice and ate it to her heart's content. But she found that she liked the herb and its magical tasted so much that she began to long for it thrice fold. She pined away and grew pale and miserable and she told her bridegroom that she must have more of that delicious plant or else she would die. So the man who was very much in love with the King's daughter agreed to bring her more. So when twilight came, he again climbed over the wall and stole away into the King's garden. Now, what neither the man nor his daughter knew was that this particular plant was the favorite of the King's and whom he loved very much for its beauty and might so he was very angry when he'd awoken that morning and found some of it gone. So, that night he hid himself among his garden for he was determined to catch the thief. So at twilight when the man came upon the Old King's favorite herb and began together it for his wide, all at once, the Old King came upon him and he was ceased by a terrible fright.

"Thief!" the Old King screamed in such furry it filled the man with terror. "Wretched being, how dare you come into my garden and steal my most prized herb! I shall see you punished for your heinous crime against me!"

Fearing for his life and the life of his new wife whom the man did not know was the Old King's daughter, pleased and said 'Please, good King grant me mercy, for I only sought to save my wife who saw your beautiful herb from her window and told me she would die unless she had some. I feared for her life and promised to bring her some of your precious flower and she promised me if I would do her this favor, in her gratitude she would become my wife."

When the Old King heard this, he asked. "And who is this girl you seek to make your wife?"

Terribly frightened, the man said "the beautiful girl whose window overlooks your garden."

At once the Old King realized it was his daughter for whom the man was in love, and the man did not know him to be her father. At once the Old King saw through his daughter's plot and said "If it is as you say, than you have fallen in love with the daughter of the King for who owns this garden, my daughter, and as it is clear you love her, I will give you my blessing that she become your wife and you may take as much as my herb as you need—but on one condition—when you marry my daughter and she becomes with child, if your wife does not love that child that will come into the world as that child is then it must be given to me. It shall be well for the child for I will love and be proud of it as any a father and grandfather could be."

In his distress the man promised all, never once thinking his wife could ever not love her child. But the Old King knew his daughter well. And so the man brought this flower to the King's daughter who ate all she liked to her heart's content and when she was no longer pale and healthy once more she married the man and left the Old King's castle and they moved into a mansion in the woods where they lived in peaceful bliss. And when the time came that the King's daughter was with child, the Old King set out to claim it, but the man denied him saying his wife would love their child just as she loved him, but the Old King knew his daughter well and said he would return when the child is born.

And when the time came that the child was born into the world the Old King appeared and asked to see his grandchild. And when he saw his daughter and her child he asked her. 'Do you love your child, my daughter?"

The King's daughter looked at her child, who was a boy, with beautiful hair the color of the night and bushed and shaped like the black leaves of the plant with a forelock that shined like gold and the tips of each black hair was stained the deepest of reds like the berry juice. His skin was soft as petals and white as snow, his cheeks were soft and round and rosy, his face was shaped like a heart, and his two large eyes were colored the deepest of purples like pretty jewels. He was the most beautiful child in the entire world. _Too _beautiful, too much for a boy and suddenly the King's daughter was overcome with jealousy and her jealousy turned to hate. And with that the Old King gave the child the name Yugioh after the Old King's favorite pass time and went away with him.

For twelve years he raised Yugioh whom he affectionately called Yugi as his own in his castle and in his garden teaching him all about his herbs and plants and which were safe to eat, which healed wounds, and which were poisonous. He taught him to read and write, taught him logic by teaching and playing games with him and taught him spells from his books for the Old King Solomon loved his grandson and Yugi loved his grandfather. And when the Old King's work called him away, Yugi would play in the garden, befriending the birds that sang him songs and the creature that lived in his grandfather's garden and would find ways to delight himself. The only thing that did not change about Yugi was his hair, for it grew in three beautiful colors of red, black and gold that had not changed sense that day he was born and it was so beautiful that the Old King didn't have the heart to cut it, so he it let it grow and grow it did until it reached little Yugi's feet, and every night the Old King Solomon would wash Yugi's growing hair and brush it dry. But he never let Yugi leave their castle for Yugi was the most beautiful child in the entire world, so beautiful that the Old King despaired for even the birds and beasts fell in love with Yugi, and he knew one day Yugi would become vain like his mother or someone would see him and take Yugi away from him. So the Old King kept Yugi safe and hidden behind the castle wall and only left him alone when he needed to attend to his alchemy.

But Yugi was very lonely. He loved his grandpa and he loved their home but he had only the birds for company and animals to talk to and all Yugi truly wanted, was a friend.

Now as it happened, the Old King has neglected his kingdom in favor of his alchemy and the people had forgotten about him and his daughter and his daughter's child, and so the Kingdom had been abandoned for many years and the people had moved on and found another kingdom to live headed by another royal family and the stories of the Old King and his home had faded into myths and stories about the forest. But many kings wondered what had happened to the old kingdom. Now as it happened the son of one such King had heard the stories of the strange kingdom in the woods and while riding through the forest had come upon the Old King's castle and the wall that surrounded his garden, Despite the castle's withered appearance, and decaying windows and stones, and vines and thorns growing along the wall, the King's son was drawn to the castle by the sound of a beautiful song sung in such a sad but a lovely voice that the King's son could not contain his curiosity. So he climbed the thorns and looked over the wall and saw whom the pretty voice belonged to. It was Yugi in his loneliness trying to pass the time with sweet songs but could not contain his sadness.

So, touched by his songs that the King's son called out "Dear maiden why do you sing so sadly?"

Now Yugi had never met or spoken to another person except his grandfather in all his twelve years so when he heard the stranger's voice he was overcome by a terrible fright.

"Don't be scared, dear maiden, I didn't mean to frighten you," the stranger said from a top the wall.

All at once Yugi was overcome by a great offence. "I am not a maiden!" Yugi said. "I am a boy! Who are you and why have you come to my home?"

"You're a boy?" the king's son said. "Forgive me dear one, I saw your hair and assumed. My name is Yami and I am the King's son. Are you sure you are a boy dear one? For you are very pretty" said the stranger whose name was Yami. For Yugi was very pretty. His eyes were still big and bright and deep, deep purple like twin jewels, his cheeks were still soft and rosy and his face was still round and shaped like a heart. His skin was still soft and smooth and white as snow, and he was small and frail but his body was very lovely and his beautiful hair was so long and shiny and silky and black as night with golden bangs and tipped with red and so long that is pooled at his bare feet.

But Yugi puffed his cheeks and glared and said. "Yes, I am a boy! My name is Yugi and my hair is so long because my grandfather loves my hair and says it is too beautiful to cut. Now who are you and why are you here?" Yugi demanded.

And Yami sat on the wall so Yugi could now see him and said "I am Yami and I am the King's son and I came to see this forest and heard you sing and I decided that I must know why one so pretty as you is singing so sadly."

And Yugi blushed when Yami said he was pretty for Yami was also very pretty. His hair was black like Yugi's but it was spiked and bushed like a maple leaf, but it had pretty gold streaks and spiky gold bangs and it was tipped in red and his eyes were sharp and bright like deep, deep red berries and he was tall and lean and his skin was light and gold ad earthy like the yellow moon and his shin and cheeks were sharp and angular like a statue.

Suddenly very sad, Yugi cried and said. "I sing so sadly because I am sad for when my grandfather leaves me I have no one to talk to. I am lonely and I want a friend."

And when Yami heard Yugi's cried he was so overcome with sadness and said. "I will be you friend, dear Yugi. If you will let me I would love to be your friends."

"You will?" Yugi said, suddenly very happy.

"Will you be my friends forever and ever?"

"Of course little Yugi," Tami said. "I will come to see you every day."

"Then I would love to have you as my friend, but I do not know what a friend is supposed to so," said Yugi.

"Then I will come every day, little Yugi" the King's son promised. "I will come every day and show you how to be a friend."

And so every day the King's son would come into the woods and climb the wall and wait until Yugi was alone and call, him, and he and Yugi would talk and talk for hours about many things. Yugi would tell him about his grandpa and his magic and his plants and Yami would tell him about his kingdom and his princely duties and about things outside the castle and the garden and the wall and Yugi was so fascinated he wanted to see and learn more. And every day Yami would bring Yugi trinkets from the outside and Yugi would teach him about herbs and which ones were safe and teach him to play a new game or show him a new spell his grandpa was teaching him. And they were so happy to have a friend.

But as it happened while they were talking and playing games Yugi and the King's on grew tired and fell asleep under a tree and later that evening were found by the old King Solomon found him and when he saw his precious grandson asleep next to a strange boy he was overcome with such a furry that he ceased Yugi away and the two boys were overcome by fright.

"Wretched child!" scolded the Old King. "I thought I'd hidden you away from the entire world and here I find you with this terrible trespasser! Now we must go away again!"

And Yugi cried for he did not want to leave his new friend and his home but was so frightened by his grandfather's rage that he dared not argue. "And you!" the Old King tuned to the King's son. "Will leave this place and never come back, never will you look for us, and never will you come for my grandson again!" And the young boy watched them leave, too scared to move and only when he was alone did he cry for he had lost his best and dearest friend.

Now the Old King did not want to lose his precious Yugi so he said "You are too beautiful for your own good" and he took Yugi away to a tall, tall tower as slender as a tree, deep in the forest where no one went, and it has no steps or doors, only a few small windows and a balcony from which would be Yugi's room. Once inside his tower, Yugi's saw several beautiful rooms which the Old King filled with books to read, paints to use, plants to grow, candles to light and things to make, food to bake, wheels for spinning, and anything else he could think for Yugi to occupy his time. The only way in which to enter the tower was through the small of Yugi's balcony and in the morning the Old King would leave to gather his herbs and spells and at night he would return to Yugi. And When the Old King wished to be let in he'd stand below and call for Yugi to throw down a rope, but as Yugi grew older and his beautiful black and gold and red hair ever longer, he would stand below Yugi's balcony and say "Yugioh, Yugioh let down your beautiful hair!"

And Yugi would undo the fastening of the upper window, tie the plaids of his hair about the hatch and let id won the fifty feet below and the Old King would climb up it.

They lived here for many years and Yugi very much like his tower and its many rooms and the gifts his grandfather brought him, and talking to the birds and beasts and he soon forgot his time at the castle and the King's son. But as he grew older and became a beautiful adult, Yugi soon to grow bored with his home, for though he had all he could want he was terribly lonely and his days past so slowly and he began to dream of seeing other places outside his tower. But his grandfather refused to let him leave and soon began to grow very miserable.

But all throughout those years the King's son returned to the forest every day to search the old castle for the Old King and as it happened he was exploring the densest part of the woods where he heard a sweet beautiful singing as sad as it was sweet. "Could it be Yugi?" Yami wondered and followed the beautiful voice until he came upon the tower and recognized the familiar voice for it was Yugi combing his hair to ease the passing time and singing sweet songs to the birds who were his only companions so high in the towers, but Yugi was so lonely that his songs were as sad as they were sweet and Yami recognized the lonely song. So Yami's searched and searched the tower, but could find no doors or entrances but he refused to leave for the song was deep in his heart and he could not leave until he'd found its owner. And so the King's son climbed a tree and hid himself among the branches and carefully watched the tower.

Once the dusk had come he watched from his tree and saw a man with so terrible an expression on his face that he immediately recognized him as the Old King who's torn him away from the one he cared for most. He saw the Old King stand beneath the tower and say "Yugioh, Yugioh, let down your beautiful hair."

And he watched as Yugi let down his long black and gold and red tresses and how the Old King climbed up those tresses and into the tower.

"Ah! So that is how it is done." Said the King's son as he waited for dawn when the Old Man left again. He watched the Old Man come down and waited until he had vanished into the woods and only once he was certain that the Old Man was gone did Yami climb down from the tree, stand beneath the tower and say "Yugioh, Yugioh let down your beautiful hair."

Now Yugi knew his grandfather's well and thought it strange that he would return so soon, and thought his voice had sounded strange but was so sad and lonely he thought nothing of it and let down his long hair. And when he did the King's son climbed quickly up the tower and once inside he recognized his long lost friend. "Oh Yugi, I have found you!"

And Yami was so overcome with joy he tried to hold him, but when Yugi looked up, he was terribly frightened for he did not remember Yami.

"Oh Yugi, don't you remember me?" Yami spoke so kindly and so sadly that Yugi forgot his fear and asked the boy his name, for he looked so familiar to him.

"I am Yami, little one, I am the King's son, and I've been searching for you since your grandfather snatched you away from me, for you are my only friend and I have missed you so."

And just like that, Yugi remembered his years in the castle that he had forgotten and the days he'd shared with Yami and he remembered his only friend and he was so overcome with joy that he embraced the King's son and cried so deeply that Yami held him close and wiped his tears away and said "there, there little one, we're together now, but oh, I have missed you so much."

"I have missed you to," Yugi cried. "For I've spent so long in this tower, I'd forgotten my time at the castle and how we used to play together but I've been so lonely and so miserable and now I know why, I missed you, Yami, my only friend."

And Yugi and Yami spent the day like that, holding the other tight until the dusk started to come and fearing they'd be discovered once again, Yugi urged the King's son to go, for he could not bear to lose him once again, but Yami promised to return again when the Old King left at dawn.

And the King's son did just that. Even though his father and guard continually asked him where he went, all he said was that he was going into the woods and every morning at sawn he would wait until the Old Man left and then he would call to Yugi "Yugioh, Yugioh, let down your beautiful hair."

And Yugi would do so and once Yami had climbed into the tower, the two would spend their days talking and laughing and singing and Yami would tell Yugi about his kingdom and his home and how he'd searched for Yugi for so long he'd feared he'd never see him again. And Yugi told Yami about his life in the tower and how he'd learned to cook and sew and wash and care for himself and when his grandfather returned he'd bring with him a new book for Yugi to read a new plant for his room or a new trinket from the outside world and how Yugi longed to see it, but his grandfather always told him "No!" because the world, he said, is dark and cruel and would take Yugi away from him. But other time they would laugh and dance and Yugi would make them treats and Yami would tell Yugi stories and they would verse each other in games and every night at dusk before the Old King returned at Twilight, Yami would kiss Yugi's cheek goodnight but as this continued for many days and many weeks he began to kiss his lips as well and Yugi always kissed him back and made him promise to return the next day and Yami always did.

But after many months they'd spent together, when Yami returned at dawn, this time he brought with him a beautiful chain spun from gold with an amethyst pendant, and once again when he came upon the tower at dawn he waited until the Old Man left and only when he was certain he was gone he called "Yugioh, Yugioh, let down your beautiful hair."

And Yugi was so happy whenever the King's son arrived that he threw down his hair and could hardly wait for Yami to come up. But, today was different, for the past few days, Yugi had asked his grandfather for pieces of gold and chains to make a special necklace. And his grandfather did so never knowing Yugi was making a gift for Yami.

And so when Yami arrived, he and Yugi embraced as they always did before, but this time Yami turned to Yugi and said. "My Yugi, we have become so close that I know in my heart, I love you, Yugi" said Yami and he pulled out a beautiful gold chain with an amethyst pendant. "I love you so much, my little Yugi, will you accept this token of my love and become my darling bride and let me become your loving husband?"

And Yugi was so overcome with happiness he started to cry and took into his hands a pretty gold pendant shaped like a pyramid on a chain he'd made for Yami and said "Oh Yami I love you so much, you were my first and only friend and have never stopped searching for me and the more time we've spent together, I realized I love you too. I love you more than I love my grandfather and my tower and my home, I love you most of all."

And he gave Yami the gold pendant on a chain and said "Will you accept this pendant as a token of my heart and make me your darling bride and become my loving husband?"

And Yami was so overcome with happiness he hugged Yugi tight and kissed his lips. "Oh Yugi, I love you so much, will you marry me here? Will you say the vows with me and be my darling bride?"

And Yugi was so overcome by those words he smiled and said, "Yes my loving husband, I will say the vows and marry you here, for I've read many books and know them well, and I don't want to speak them to anyone else but you."

"Then Yugi, will you be my darling bride and be we ill or well, be we poor or plentiful, be me a king's son or a beggar's child until the end of our days?"

"Yes, my darling husband I do take you for all those things until the end of our days," said Yugi putting his gold pendant around Yami's neck. "Will you be my loving husband he we ill or well, be we poor or plentiful, be me an Old King's grandson or a poor boy trapped in a tower until the end of our days?"

"Oh yes, my little Yugi," said Yami placing his pendant with an amethyst gem on a golden chain around Yugi's neck. "I take you for much more than that, my darling, my bride, my very best friend, and I promise and will do all I can to make you happy" said Yami as he kissed his new bride.

"And I will spend all my days making you happy my loving husband, as you have made me so very happy" said Yugi as he kissed his new groom and so deep and true was the love in their kiss that they held the other so tight and did not want to let go. And Yami picked up his beautiful bride and spun him around wrapping them in a curtain of Yugi's three colored hair and carried him from Yugi's balcony and to his bed and laid him down, bride and groom holding each other tight.

"Will you let me kiss you my darling bride?" asked Yami stroking Yugi's beautiful hair.

"Yes, my loving husband, you may kiss me," said Yugi, who, leaned up so Yami could kiss his forehead, then his cheeks then his lips then his neck.

"Will you let me touch you, my darling bride?" Yami asked stroking Yugi's cheek and kissing his nose.

"Yes, my loving husband, you may touch me," said Yugi who took off Yami's cloak; then his shirt and then let Yami undo his tunic and remove the rest of their clothes. And Yami held Yugi tight and kissed his chest and stroked his sides and smoothed his hands over Yugi's legs and thighs, and gently petted the junction between his hips and thighs and kissed the insides of his thighs and Yugi massaged Yami's arms and rubbed his back and hugged him close and nuzzled his chest with his cheek for he had never felt this way before and very much liked this strange new feeling. And Yami had never touched or held anyone like he touched and held Yugi for it was a new experience for him, but it seemed to simple and natural and right and. all he wanted was to keep making Yugi smile and moan and kissed his lips then his chest, then his hips then his bell and smiled every time he made Yugi laugh.

And when they kissed each other again, Yami asked "Will you let me make love to you my darling bride?"

And Yugi smiled, lovingly and said "Yes, my loving husband you can make love to me, for me, I don't want anyone but you to touch and hold and kiss and make love to me like this."

And Yami saw no lie or fears or regrets in Yugi's loving eyes.

"And no one ever shall, my darling bride, and only you will get to hold and kiss and touch and make love with me like this, for you are my darling wide and I am your alone," said Yami lovingly and Yugi saw no lies or fears or regrets in his eyes.

"Then make love to me, my loving husband, make love to me and make us truly husband and wife."

And they said no more for they didn't need to. Their love was evident in their eyes and in their smiled and in their kisses and their touched and all they wanted was to be one.

And Yami gently laid Yugi on the bed spread among a blanket of fanning hair and pressed his strong, hard body against Yugi's soft and pale one and ever so gently slid his hips between Yugi's soft things and slowly merged himself with Yugi's pressing deeper and deeper into his little one's soft warmth. Now, Yugi had never made love before so he was unpleasantly shocked by the strange pain that same when Yami first filled his body and suddenly he became very frightened and screamed and held fast to his husband. But Yami sense his little one's distress and held him close and stroked his back. "Oh little one, please don't cry," Yami soothed his darling bride. "It's alright, the ache will not last long, please don't cry." He kissed Yugi's lips and they were filled with so much love and his promises so deep and sincere that Yugi forgot his fears and tried to relax and slowly but surely the ache that came with losing his virginity became less and less painful and soon Yugi moaned into Yami's kisses for now he felt only pleasure.

Yugi moved his lips pulling Yami closer and pulled up his knees so Yami was between them. He kissed Yami's lips and nuzzled his chest and slowly Yami pulled himself free and Yugi whined suddenly feeling empty, but Yami pushed deeply into Yugi's soft warmth and oh, how he loved the feel of Yugi's softness surrounding him and oh, how he loved the hear him whine when Yami pulled away and moaned when he thrust back inside him. He loved seeing Yugi's eyes become half lidded with pleasure, and his mouth forming "oh" of pleasure. And oh, how Yugi loved feeling Yami massage his insides and thrust and move inside him and kiss his cheeks and whisper sweet promises of love in his ear. Deeper and deeper Yami thrust inside Yugi and faster and faster Yugi lifted his hips, keeping the distance between them as short as they could and their time merged together as long as possible, for whenever their bodied parted they felt empty and unsatisfied and leaned for the gently warmth and completion they felt when they merged.

They made love again and again, their pace and speed dictated by their passion and love lone. They moaned in pleasure and called the other's name and screamed their love to the heavens. They pushed and pulled and pounded away making love and crying out and enjoying expressing their love in the peace and privacy of their tower and when they finally became one they were so overcome that they both screamed and neither could move. And Yugi was so surprised when he felt himself release and felt Yami's essence inside him that he became very confused, but Yami held him tight and soothed his fears with reassurance and promises of love and assured him that they were now one and part of the other, and proved so by gathering Yugi's seed and drinking every drop.

"Now we are truly husband and wife," Yami said kissing the lips of his darling bride and wrapping them up in a curtain of black, red and gold hair. And they laughed and smiled and wrapped themselves up in Yugi's hair, but just as they were about to fall asleep Yugi awoke him and said "Oh, my husband you must leave now, for the night is coming and if my grandpa comes home and finds you here, he will take me away and I will never see you again."

At that thought, Yugi despaired for he did not want to ever leave his beloved's side and all at once he decided "Oh Yugi, I don't want to leave you, ever again." And he took Yugi's face in his hands and asked "Will you run away with me little one, we can leave this tower and return to my Kingdom for I know my father and my kingdom will love you just as I do. We can travel together and see all the places you've dreamed of seeing and we can be together forever. Please, my Yugi?"

And Yugi thought for a moment, for he loved his new husband and loaned for so long to leave his tower but could he leave his grandfather? Oh, yes, he loved his grandfather, but he had grown so tired of his life alone in the tower and disliked how his grandfather left him and alone during the day and tried to keep him locked away.

And he took Yami's hand in his and said 'I love you so much, my husband, and I would gladly go away with you now if we could but I cannot yet, for my grandpa will return soon. But I have a plan, I will tell him to bring me materials and I will tell him I am making clothed but secretly I will make a ladder so we can escape. And when you come to see me, we will spend more nights together like this as husband and wife and plan our escape."

"Are you sure, my darling?" Are you sure you can leave your grandfather?" Yami asked.

"I am sure" Yugi said "I am tired of living in this tower shut away from the entire world and being alone, I love my grandfather, but I can no longer live without you. Now please, my husband, you must leave before my grandpa comes home and sees you."

And Yami smiled and kissed his love and promised to return the next day and climbed down Yugi's hair and Yugi watched him leave and quickly dressed and waited for his grandfather to return but he was so tired that he fell asleep.

So when the Old King came to the tower and said "Yugioh, Yugioh let down your beautiful hair," he was horribly frightened when Yugi did not let down his hair.

"Yugioh, Yugioh, let down your hair!" he cried louder but still received no answer and become even more frightened. "Yugioh!" he screamed so loud that birds retracted in fear and even in his tower Yugi heard them and was startled away. Quickly, he rushed to his balcony and threw down his hair and his grandfather was so relieved, he hurried up as fast as his old bones could carry him.

"Yugi, why didn't you answer me?" the Old King demanded.

"I'm sorry grandpa," Yugi apologized. "I fell asleep."

"You never sleep during the day," the Old King said suspiciously.

"I was very tired" said Yugi who walked inside, but stumbled as he walked for he was still sore from consummating his marriage.

"You've never stumbled before," said his grandfather.

I'm just very tired," Yugi said and with a smile he asked his grandfather "Grandpa when next you go out can you please bring me some strong silks and cloths, for I'd like to make some new clothes."

"Alright, I shall bring them to you on the 'morrow."

And every night when the Old King returned he would bring Yugi the materials he asked for and at night he would weave them into a strong rope and after he left, Yami would return with more materials and would help him weave and make sure the rope was strong. But other days they would lay together as husband and wife and make love and talk of their escape and all the things they'd see once they'd escape the tower and every evening they'd sleep in a curtain of beautiful red, gold, and black hair, but they were always careful to wake before dusk and Yugi always insisted Yami leave before his grandfather, the Old King, returned. But every night before he left Yami would kiss Yugi goodbye and promise to return the next morning. They went on for many days and many weeks and the Old King knew nothing of all this but everyday he began to notice Yugi's smile brighten but couldn't fathom a reason for this new sparkle but thought nothing of it. But after so many weeks, Yugi began to grow ever, more hungry and asked his grandfather "Grandfather, can you bring me more food, for I have been so hungry these last few days?"

Now the Old King thought nothing of this, and started brining Yugi extra food to settle his appetite. But as more weeks passed, Yugi's belly started to ache and he could not fathom why, so he asked his grandfather "Grandfather, do you have an herb for my belly, for has such a dreadful ache."

Now the Old King thought nothing of this and gave Yugi an herb to settle his stomach. But as weeks turned into months, and Yugi had almost finished his secret ladder, he awoke as he did every morning and tired to dress but called his grandfather saying "Grandfather will you please help me, for my clothes are all too tight about my waist?"

And when the Old King heard this and saw the lump of life growing from Yugi's stomach all at once he understood and shrieked "Oh, you, wicked child! Terrible wretch! How dare you betray me so! I thought I'd warned you away from all the world and here I find you with a lecherous man's child, how dare you betray me?!"

And Yugi was terribly frightened, until he heard his Grandfather say 'with child' and said "What do you mean? I am a boy, I can't have children?"

"Oh but you can," his grandfather said. "Before you were born your mother ate a special herb from my garden, but this herb was a magical herb whose purpose was to grant life and now that is within you, you can create life from within your and I sought to keep you away from the world for it is cruel and selfish and so is everyone in it."

Now that made Yugi horrible angry and in his anger he cried "That is a lie! Yami's not cruel or selfish! For he is the King's son and I love him and he loves me and if I am with child than it is a child born from out love."

All at once, the Old King was overcome by rage and in his anger he seized Yugi by his hair in his left hand then grasping a pair of scissors in his right, he cut away Yugi's beautiful and the remaining locks spikes up and the long strands fell to the floor. But he was not yet done, for his anger had hardened his heart and dragged Yugi down his rope of hair and away from the tower and through the woods, ignoring Yugi's cries and pleas to stop until he had reached the waste and threw Yugi down and said "You shall stay here and wait for me and I will take care of your bridegroom and when I return I shall take you and your child away and we will go where no one shall ever find us again!"

And with that he left, leaving Yugi alone and oh, how Yugi despaired for he feared he would never see his beloved husband again and now their precious child would never know its father. But Yugi did not stay for his grandfather had forgotten that Yugi was smart and strong and quickly he set out into the woods and sought a stream with water to drink, then he sat about gathering herbs and berries and roots that were safe to eat and good for his baby and found shelter in an old tree, where he and his baby would be safe to sleep. And every day he journeyed closer and closer to the castle that was his first home in the hopes that if Yami came looking for him, he would fine him there. But he was very miserable for he had lost his husband and now matter how he searched or how long he waited he could not find his husband who he feared was lost forever.

Now the King's son knew nothing of all this and road to the tower just as he always did to see his beloved and called "Yugioh! Yugioh! Let down your beautiful hair!"

And he climbed up the locks but instead of his beloved Yugi waiting for him, he saw the Old King glaring at him with wicked, gleaming eyes.

"Aha!" cried the Old King "You are the one who soiled my boy and got him with child and now you've come for your darling? Well, I have hidden him away and you shall never see him again!"

"No!" Yami cried in horror! "Where is Yugi? What is this child you speak of?"

"Ah, so you do not know?" crackled the Old King "Well Yugi is with child because before he was born his mother consumed a magical herb that gave him the power to birth life from within his body, and since he was able to conceive, I knew wretched boys like you would come to take him away from me, so I sought to hide him away, but alas you still found him, but no longer! I've hidden him away, and you shall never see him again!"

"No! Where is Yugi? Where is my child?" Yami cried so overcome with grief.

"He's gone! And you shall never see him again!" The Old King said with such might that the King's son was overcome with terror and stumbled backwards and fell from the tower and into the trees below and though he survive the fall, his eyes were wounded and hurt and he could no longer see and when he awoke, he cried until he collapsed from fatigue.

But back in the tower the Old King was horrified to see that when he fell, the King's son had not let go of Yugi's hair and without it the Old King was trapped in his own tower. All at once the Old King realized what he's done, and that his grandson was lost and alone in the woods and with child and would most likely die and he was so overcome with despair and remorse that he fell to the floor and cried.

Now as it happened, when the King's son did not return that night as he always did, the King and his men set out into the woods to search for him and eventually they came upon a strange tower and at its base beneath the trees they found their wounded prince crying.

"My son!" cried the King when he saw his son's state. And when Yami awoke, though he could no longer see, he recognized his father's voice and felt his hands and only then did Yami break and confess everything to his father. He confessed to how he came upon a strange castle that belonged to the Old King and befriended his grandson whom the Old King snatched away, and how he searched the woods until he found him once more. He confessed to finding Yugi in the tower and meeting him in the tower and meeting him every day and falling in love with the boy whose name was Yugi, and how he loved him so much he asked Yugi to be his wife and he agreed and how they planned Yugi's escape from the tower only for the Old King to discover the plot when he learned Yugi was with child—his child—and now he was lost to him.

And as the King heard his beloved son's tale, he ordered his men to find a way to climb the tower so that they could cease the Old King and bring him to justice. But when he tried to bring his son home, Yami refused to leave without Yugi who was still lost in the deep waste. To spare his son's heart, the King dispatched his men who searched for many months and so did the King and his son, who though blind refused not to look, but all their efforts were in vain and oh Yami despaired when the men returned and said they could not find Yugi.

And just as the King's son was about to give up hope while searching with his father, he heard a faint but familiar song for his hearing had grown much sharper since he lost his sight.

"Could it be Yugi?" said the King's son and he followed the voice and heard that it was as sad as it was sweet, but as he approached closer her heard another sound, a faint cry—a baby's cry, then another! And the King's song followed the voice until his hands touched the familiar wall of a castle and he climbed the wall as he had done many times before, and when he did there was no mistaking the lovely voice.

For Yugi had found his old home, the now abandoned castle and was now living there with his twin-children—a boy and a girl, both infants only a few weeks old and hope to soothe their cries with sweet songs.

"Yugi, I've found you!" cried Yami so overcome with joy he could not stop his tears.

And when Yugi heard his voice and saw it was his lost husband calling he was so overcome with joy that he embraced his husband and cried and places their children in his arms, and when Yugi saw his husband's eyes were wounded and he could no longer he see he cried some more, but when Yugi's tears touched his eyes, Yami opened his eyes and was stunned to see they had become clear once more and he could see his beloved Yugi. His hair was so much shorter and spiked like his, his cheeks were pale and dirty and his skin was rough from surviving the woods but to Yami he was still the most beautiful person in all the world and in Yugi's arms was their infant son and in his was their baby daughter and so happy was the family to be reunited that they held each other tight and cried with such joy that all the world around them could hear.

And that was how and where the King found him and so joyous was he to see his son reunited with his lost family and meet his son's bride who he could see immediately loved his son and meet his grandchildren and he took them to his kingdom where the prince and his bride were received with great joy and where the Old King had remained the King's prisoner for his crimes against his son and his bride, but when Yugi came to see him, the Old King was so overjoyed to see him alive and remorseful of his crimes that Yugi forgave him and asked the King to set him free but only if he promised to let Yugi and his children live the life they wanted to live and so grateful was the Old King that he promised all and was allowed to live in the palace.

And for many years, they lived together at Yami's castle raising their children and exploring their city and when their children had grown enough to travel Yami and Yugi took their children with them to see the world and venture to all the places Yugi wished to see and when they were done traveling they returned home where Yugi and Yami had many more children and ruled their kingdom well and always promised to love and cherish the other forever.

And they did until the end of their days.

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I'm so proud of this oneshot ^-^ and yes I based it off the ORIGINAL Grim version where the prince got Rapunzel pregnant and where she naively suggested she was pregnant because her clothes were too tight. Now, I wanted to make Yugi less Naive as the classic Rapunzel and more like the Rapunzel of the Disney version: she was naive but still pretty bad ass, so once again i wanted to continue the theme of learning and mastering domestic skills as a means of learning survival and taking care of one's self, as well as the theme of trust and friendship between relationships, sense in this age friendship was a huge factor in marriage.

Also I really wanted to focus on the time stream with this story, in the Rudaba tale the prince would climb to the roof of Rubada's room and talk to her which was considered inappropriate for the time, but I liked that theme so I had Yugi and Yami meet as children and then when Yugi was in the tower their friendship continued and they become closer, and in the original Rapunzel and the prince married in the tower before consummating their marriage (because the Grimm's didn't want to imply that Rapunzel became pregnant out of wedlock. But again I really wanted to focus on the flow of time in this one, so I'm glad i pulled it off ^-^

Grandpa being the witch came form that depending on the story the sorceress comes off as cruel or a loving guardian thus Rapunzel getting knocked up and running away (every mother's worst nightmare) can be interpreted as either a daring escape by a captive or a horrible betrayal of a mother-figure. So in this one i decided to do both ^-^

I love this fairy tale so I'm very pleased with how this one-shot came out. As always, review, comment, critique, ask questions and go nuts ^-^ I can't wait to see the reviews for this one!


	3. Threads of Gold

A new story! I FINALLY FINISHED IT! Oh my god, I had this idea in my head since March (my birthday to be exact) since I saw the the Once Upon a Time Episode the Miller's Daughter. A fan on DA suggested a Rumplestilskin fic but i could never create a plot for it until that episode, which gave my this brilliant idea!

It took FOREVER to write though! First i wrote it out long hand than I reread it and found I didn't like the style (and after re-reading the Fanfic One Night in Bangkok) it encourage me to go back ad change the style so its a combination of a fairy tale style and a darker more imageistic style. So I spent a weekend rewriting it, the ending took forever! When I wrote it it took 3 STINKING DAYS! but when i started typing and redoing the story I ended up redoing the whole thing, and edited it one day so overall this took like TWO MONTHS from start to finish to do, but IT WAS TOTALLY WORTH IT!

So here it is! the next installment of my Fairy Tale Collection featuring Rumplestitskin...

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot, this was inspired by Rumplestilskin by the Grimm brothers, the Once Upon a Time episode The Miller's Daughter by Disney (I think), and several lines and styling was inspired by Once Night in Bangkok (AWESOME fic); I also forgot to mention, Jareth's line from Labyrinth also inspired a scene, and the story-scene at the end was actually inspired by the Grimm Comic Book Rumplestiltskin (awesome comics but very dark so not for everyone).

Dedications: To ~DARKAMY1 whose request put the idea in my head ^-^ Enjoy it girl!

As always read, review, comment, critique, ask questions, flame if you have a point (those without will be blocked) and have fun!

WARNINGS: Slightly evil Yugi and evil Yami, Yaoi (not TOO heavy but still lot of sexual stuff so no like no read), tea, vivian and rebecca bashing (didn't know who else to put in those rolls)

CHAPTER THEME SONG: Daylight-Maroon 5 heard this in the car and fell IN LOVE! It SCREAMS this story:Remember to remove spaces and dots:

www dot youtube dot com / watch?v=q1q9ojtZqiI

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_Threads of Gold_

The history of the abandoned kingdom and the old castle is an interesting tale, indeed. Much more dramatic than most and far less heroic, the history inspired many a tale, and the tale inspired a story. It happened so frequently you see: history becomes legend, legend becomes myth, and myth inspires the stories. Facts are changes to suit the teller's desires. Truth becomes distorted, and the true hero of the hour becomes lost in the chaos. It is really quiet sad: how a heartbreaking tale can become childish nonsense.

That said, let me tell you the real story. The one that includes the bloody coup and the horrible betrayal. Of course, that all happens _before_ the tale begins…but it _is _history nonetheless.

This story is about the pursuit of power and the triumph of justice, but, of course, it is in the guise of revenge. Yes, this is a dark tale. Do you know it also tells about the false nature of promises? And the pursuit of happiness? And the choice between power and love, if there is a choice at all? Oh yes, it's quiet a tale, the truth is. Let's begin shall we? This is the story of magic and curses, of trapped towers and a greedy king who needed to be sacked, and a kingdom in debt and peril after a horrible coup sparked a civil war. I'm sure many of you know the tale at first: of a girl locked in a tower and an imp who teaches her to spin straw into gold. Oh? So you do know it? Of course, you probably know it by a different name, but that is only part of the tale and not the good one either, for as I said, history is far better than the children's tales. And this is our history in its darkest time.

And it all begins…With an avaricious King who, so strong was his greed, that no amount of power was enough for him; A man so poor and desperate that his envy knew no bounds and twisted his tongue with lies; And there is an imp, a darkling, cursed with a strange form and stranger powers, both extraordinary and testimony, and a very wicked sense of justice; But most of all, it starts with a miller's child for whom this history might never have been born had he not desired to be something more…

Now as it was, when this kingdom was young it was very poor: drained of finances, depleted of profit, and held under the heel of its current king who had stolen his throne in a bloody coup and civil war. A stranger to such, the kingdom has no choice but to concede and was left in heavy debt and with no gold or lands to pay for them, the people grew very poor and very miserable.

The worst of the poor was a Miller and this miller had a child, a son, who was very beautiful. So beautiful that all who beheld him despaired. Slender, small, beautiful, fragile and young of eighteen-years. Skin so soft and fair, cheeks round and held a pink flush, and tresses soft, shiny, star-like ebony sparkling with ruby and bangs of spun gold. But most beautiful of all, were his eyes: bright, twinkling amethyst stars so round and delicate and innocent they clashed and betrayed his worldly will, for no fragile soul was the Miller's son's.

For the Miller's son was bright and he was clever and he was ambitious. For the mill was old and the Miller was lazy, so it was Yugi who braved the thick, syrupy heat of the old mill to grind the flour and keep their profits, for though he hated the mill, Yugi hated being poor more. All his hard work and he received no reward nor gratification nor condensation. His blood, his sweat, his tears, his misery and hard work, his aching bones and sore limbs and honest heart: all broken and wasted. His soul desired nothing more than to become more than a miller's son and on the day in which his father sent him to town to sell flour; he was determined to do just that.

There was nothing for him in the town except streets aligned with beggars and trash. Skeletal peasants dressed in sacks and frocks and barely a penny for bread. Overcrowded streets, rundown houses, thieves ripping at any spilled food and all while he stood on the edge of the chaos, his innocent beauty seeming misplaced among the grizzly setting. Yugi knew he would sell no flour here. Not in the kingdom of a greedy king.

But he was clever. Only one place would pay him handsomely for much needed flour. He lifted his cart and pushed it up the path to the palace and around the gate to the kitchens and it was there he saw the King was hosting another fine party.

A ball was set up boasting the finest lavishly to the company that had just arrived. All women, some lovely, some not, some young, some not, all dressed in fine silks, and their hair and arms and throats adorned with jewels. Some wore crowns of sovereignty; others had crests of fine houses. Many were foreign, few were local. All were rich. All were women. No doubt, it seemed, the King who was very much in debt, was searching for a rich young princess to make his wife and pay his debts and warm his bed.

A roll of his eyes and a snort and Yugi was off to the stables where he addressed himself as the Miller's son, and offered to sell his flour for a handsome price for he knew they were very much in need of making pastries and desserts for the King's spoiled guests. But they did not want to pay his price and tried to bribe him with a smaller sum. Yugi, however, was very clever and knew they were in desperate need of his flour and refused to relent until they promised all, and Yugi left with a sack of gold in his packet and enough to flee the mill and his cruel father and start someplace new.

The bag of gold juggled in his hands, and a proud curl of a smile on his lips, the Miller's son set for lands unknown. But in the query he heard obnoxious giggling and arrogant chatter. Three princesses bragged amongst themselves how it would be them who would be made queen. A roll of his eyes and a shake of his head in disgust was Yugi's only reply. _Foolish girls. For they will have no power and be nothing but miserable if they were to become the King's wife. _

But as they bragged about their beauty, they saw Yugi attempting to leave unseen and their vanity surfaced and gave way to mean-spiritedness. Seeing him and judging his heavy rags, worn coat, and thick cloak covering his face: they laughed maliciously and said "You there boy! Come here and remove your cloak so we can see how hideous you are."

Yugi ignored them and se on his way for he felt no need to humor neither their vanity nor their stupidity. Now these princesses, were very spoiled and were very used to getting their way, so when he refused them, they had become very angry. They arose with terrible intentions in their eyes and flexed their terrible claws and the harpies descended and said "You boy! Stop and come here! We demand that you remove your close so that we can see how hideous you are!"

Again, Yugi refused and evaded their claws and tried to run, but this only made the princesses angry and they grabbed his cloak and pulled him back an trapped him with their claws and he could see that they were very pretty.

One, tall, slender, blue-eyed, rosy-cheeked and fluffy brown hair and perky bosoms, donned with jewels and white silks and with nothing to offer a King but beauty and birth. The second, fair and lean, pinned up black hair and pouty lips, and arched eyes that spoke of wicked pleasures and cruel delights, and he pitied whatever land it was that she became its Queen. The third was petite and young with cascading blond curls, flashing emerald eyes, and speckled cheeks and every inch the fairytale princess but there was a sharpness to her tongue and an arrogance in her stance, and Yugi knew she would be perpetually frustrated if she became the Queen.

All at once, the girls cackled "We are princesses, boy, and you are but a beggar boy, now obey us! Remove your cloak and show us how hideous you are!"

Angered and no longer willing to remain silent in his pride, Yugi threw them away and smirked as they fell down with a shriek. "Now why should?" laughed the Miller's son with the corners of his lips curling into a smug smirk. "Princesses you may be with your rich silks and fine jewels but you are not but spoiled children! Spoiled and useless and pathetic. You have no power over me!" And he laughed and turned away.

But his laughter turned to furry in their ears, for no one had dared speak so to the three girls before. Clouded by rage, despair, and shame, the fair princesses descended. The banshees' shriek was Yugi's only warning before he felt the claws of the humiliated girls tearing at his cloak and hair and once they ripped away his cloak, the pride of their victory died in gasps of mortified horror and shocked despair as they beheld the face of the Miller's son. Even his rags, his cheeks scratched, his hands and face stained with dirt, and straw in his hair; the Miller' son was terribly beautiful. So beautiful that the Princesses despaired, for though they were very pretty, almost lovely, compared to one another, in the presence of this pauper boy, even _they_ could not deny that they were plain and bland. So great was their distress that they began to scream and weep and tore at his clothes.

"What's going on?" Demanded the King Marik very distressed by the commotion ruining his ball.

The princesses turned to the King and with pouty lips, glassy-eyes of fake tears, and trembling fingers gripping his cloak they cried "Oh this cruel, cruel boy! Did you hear him insult us so? Did you see him attack us? Did you see him refuse us when we asked him questions? Oh this cruel, cruel boy!"

"That is a filthy lie, you stupid wrenches!" spat the Miller's son, gathering his profits, securing his cloak and leaping to his feet. "How dare you accuse me of such things that you are guilty of! You're so vain you think yourselves worthy of my attention and attack me when I do not give it! Then run crying to your king! Ha! You are not but spoiled children."

"Watch your tongue boy," spat the King, his narrowed eyes and sharp words enough to send the most powerful of men to their knees. "These girls are Princess Tea Von Lily, Princess Vivian Le Wong, and Princess Rebecca Hawkins; they are honored guests in my home and you will obey them."

"I will not," protested he with a laugh. "They are not but children!"

"You see?" cried the Princesses "See how he insults us so!"

"You will obey your princesses, boy!" spat the King.

"They are not my princesses." Yugi's words were as proud as his stance. "They have no power over me."

"You are but a miller's son," snapped the King. "You're a commoner and they are royal. They should always have your respect and obedience, now kneel to them and apologize."

"I will not!" Yugi yelled, filled with disgust at the King's order. "I would rather die!"

Overcome with rage at such defiance, The King poised to strike, but Yugi did not notice until the force of the blow collided with his cheek and he fell to the ground more angered than stunned that he has been struck.

"You are in _my_ kingdom, and _I _am your king," snapped the King with arrogance in his eyes and chuckle. He did not like anyone challenging him and sought to make an example of the boy and grabbed him by the back of his neck and said "I order you to apologize or I will cease your home and your earnings and leave you even more worthless than you are."

Furry. Unquenchable, combustious rage was all Yugi felt as he glared at the king. Anger grit in his teeth and narrowed his eyes to sharp, dangerous slits. He wanted to argue, to deny that he was worthless. He cared nothing for the mill, but knew without his earnings he'd have nothing and could never escape.

So when the King threw him to his knees, he begrudgingly bowed his head and with venom in his words said "I beg your pardon, Princesses, I meant no offense." A lie, they all knew, but it was his surrender they craved, the satisfaction that they had won. The King's victorious smile burned into his back the girl's smug pearls of laughter filled his ears and the King words "Now stay on your knees until we're gone," were a whiplash across his side.

When Yugi raised his head, the King noticed when he was quiet and obedient, he was very beautiful. "If only you were not a miller's son," he said oblivious to the boy's defiant stare and how it burned with hate. "For you are so beautiful, I might consent to make you my wife."

Those words above all else were the ones the Miller had heard when he happened upon the commotion, while seeking to speak with the King and give him consequence. The Miller saw the lust in the King's eyes. Lust for his son and all he saw was the promise of a great reward if Yugi pleased him. So with a rush in his step, he gleefully lied "Oh, he is much more than a pretty face, this boy is so clever that he can spin straw into gold."

Horror. Unspeakable, overwhelming horror so severe that Yugi could not speak. Yugi couldn't if he wanted to for his father had ceased him when he kneeled and covered Yugi's mouth and held him firm. It was nothing compared to his horror when he saw the King's eyes flash with delightful greed. "Now that is an art that pleases me well." The King licked his avaricious lips. "If he's as clever as you say, bring him to my castle, that I may put him to work and show me proof."

The King and Miller bartered as men would at the market. Yugi could not protest, try as he might. Could not deny it, try as he might. For before he could object to such outrageous treatment of his person, he was dragged to the King's palace and thrown into a room high in a tower yielding no hope of escape save for a tiny window barely big enough for himself to fit through. Dank and murky and drenched in blood or slime or both and filled with straw and in it was only a small stool and a spindle.

"Now set to work, Miller's son, and if by early morning you have not spun all this straw into gold than you shall be sent to the block."

Without another word, the King was gone and Yugi was left alone. He tried the door but it was iron and bolted shut.

Escape. It was his best choice. He had no notion of how to spin straw into gold, and he would not die in here in this cramped stone cell with only a window to welcome him to the outside world. The window was small and the room was in a tower and too high to jump but Yugi did not want to die. He would take a chance.

A gust of wind knocked him backwards. He landed with a painful smack to his bottom.

"I'm afraid you won't be able to escape that way, Miller's son." Greeted a rich, amused baritone.

And Yugi spun to meet the intruder and oh, did his mind rebel against him when he did, for he was the strangest man Yugi had ever seen. Hair, thick, unruly and wild swirling ebony, sparkled with ruby and strikes of gold. Lean, slim and young, and chiseled features, but strangest of all was his skin: so impossibly pale, and all dusky and encrusted with rough, flecks of gold. Flashy eyes, enlarged and brilliant and bloody red, and so impossibly bright, flames flickered beneath their surface. The slightest hint of a smug smirk curled his firm lips, cooling the sharpness of his cheeks, the curve of his skin, and the roughness of his gold-dusted skin. Gorgeous, arrogant, calm and lethal and with all the easy, restless grace of a jungle predator even as he sat one leg folded across the other, on the wheel of the spindle weightless and with no fear of losing his balance. Nails, long and black and curled like the talons of a predatory bird, sprouted from slender fingers gripped the base of his seat.

"Good evening, Miller's son." An easy, airy leap and he floated to the ground. He landed in a gracious bow. Flashy crimson eyes widened as they fell upon him, sharp with cat-like curiosity and touched by ruby darkness and golden light.

"Are you an imp?" asked Yugi, "or a darkling? Or both?"

The imp smiled, a slight twitch of his lips beaming with pride and amusement, but so slight Yugi thought he must've imagined it.

"Why, yes, I am," said he with a giddy giggle in his voice. "How very clever you are, miller's son."

"My name is Yugi," said he, unable to look away from the imps' face: all hypnotic eyes and playful smiles, sparkling with mischievous delight. "And what is your name?"

"I'm afraid, I cannot tell you," chuckled the imp, propped upon a mountain of straw, legs folded beneath him, a delicate chin braced in the tip of his thumb and forefinger. "For it is lost to me, my true name and memory."

"Something to call you then?" asked Yugi.

"You may call me Yami, little one." Those hypnotic eyes were upon him again, curious and calculating, a kitten scrutinizing a new toy.

"Why are you here, Yami?"

"Me?" Ruby eyes sparkled with mischief. "I merely have a proposition for you."

"Proposition?" Yugi questioned softly, casting the stranger a wary glance.

"Yes, for a price, I shall spin all this straw into gold, and you never have to see the dimwitted Miller or those prissy princesses ever again."

Of course, at first, Yugi did not believe him nor did he know how the imp knew so much, but the darkling, whose name was Yami, giggled and said. "Oh don't fret, little one. Nothing happens in this Kingdom that I don't know about. It is but one of the many magics I can perform."

To drive the truth home, Yami hopped upon the stool fed the straw into the spinning wheel and before Yugi's eyes he spun the straw into a singular yarn of gold. Whirr, whirr, whirr! Three times round until the bobbin was full. Glittering gold sparkling even in the darkness of the night.

Amazement was all Yugi could feel as he watched, until caution became of him. "What is the proposition then? What is it you want?"

"You still do not believe my intentions then?" Laughed the imp, who was all alluring eyes and pleasant smiles, but Yugi was clever and hardened by experience. "Then you are very clever." The imp purred for he liked this charming little creature. How long has it been since he met such a worthy challenge, who taunted and defied him and didn't shriek at the sight of him. "As I said, I have a proposition for you, little one." And the darkling swooped before him so close Yugi felt his breath tickle his cheek. "You see, I saw how you spoke to that idiot king and those annoying girls. I think you are very clever and terribly beautiful, and much too willful and, like me, you crave more than this cage of youth. I think we are of a kindred spirit, and I think you are the only one who can help me regain my memory that has been locked away and break the curse that has me trapped."

There was no lie in those hypnotic eyes, only a curved smile and a delicate leer and despite himself Yugi felt himself color for the first time since his youth. "All I ask in exchange is something personal from you."

The darkling grinned and licked his lips at the oh so delicate blush. Oh yes, how long had it been since he found such a delightful companion. For Yugi was all softness and sweetness and sharp as thorns and frazzled as a cat. And oh, he wanted this pretty creature, wanted him more badly than he dared even to himself, to admit.

And Yugi met his inquisitive gaze, as intimate as a caress and twice as promising and three times as dangerous.

"Something personal you say? And how _personal_ must it be?"

"Hmm, what will you give me?" teased the imp leaning close until their lips barely touched and he was quiet surprised when Yugi stopped them with a press of his forefinger and shoved him away. "Is a kiss your price?" he said with disgust "For I am no flirt or a harlot if that is your price."

Yami was even more surprised and smiled. "Not at all, little one. If I kiss you, it is because, as I said, I think you are very clever and very beautiful and very willful. But I still demand my price, and what I want…" so curled was the darkling's smile that it slit his face. "Is your first born child."

So surprised was he by this, that Yugi could not speak, but once he found his voice. "Why do you want my first born child? Who knows when that will ever be? Or if it shall ever be?"

But the imp's fierce scarlet softened wine, and his smile became gentle as he said "I want a child to hold, and to love, and rear and raise, and rock to sleep and comfort when it cries, and scold it when it is wrong so it may know the difference, and reward it when it behaves, and nurture and raise as my own. For I am very fond of children and would rather have something living than all the riches in the world."

"And you would love it and raise it and never treat it as my father did me?" asked Yugi for he did not like giving away an unknown child he may never have to this darkling who he'd just met, unless he was certain it would be loved, as his father never loved him.

And with no lie in his eyes and a voice so grave he spoke more than a thousand truths, the darkling bowed his head and said "You have my word, I will love and raise it as my own, and if you wish it, I shall not keep it from you." And Yugi saw no lie in his heart and said.

"Very well, you shall have my first born child to love but in exchange, I do not want you to spin this straw into gold. I want you to teach _me_ how to."

"Ah, what?" Yami spun around quiet surprised and very shocked at what he'd just heard.

"I will give you whatever you please, but you must teach me your magic so that I can be more than just a miller's son," he begged and pleaded with such distress that he fought against himself not to weep.

And Yami tilted his chin and looked in his eyes. Sadness. Desperation. Longing. Oh yes, they were kindred spirits: this boy and he. Trapped and alone and desperate for an escape, to rise above and unable to do so on their own.

Gentle, soothing fingers brushed his cheeks and strong thumbs wiped away his tears and gentle lips pressed softly against his and said "You are already so much more than that, but I will gladly teach you all my magical arts."

Now, Yugi was quiet stunned by the kiss, but even more by the softening eyes and sweet smile on the darkling's face. Intense and passionate despite how gentle the kiss actually was. Only for him, he realized. Curious, nimble fingers brushed his kissed-bruised lips. For he had seen the greedy leers and lustful snared of those unwashed, twisted men of the streets who craved a warm body, and they hated him for making them feel so. He's seen the envious stares and jealous snarls of the local ladies who could only woo with pretty words and coy glances and who hated him for being so when beautiful when he was just a miller's son.

But though the darkling was very strange and his skin flaked with scales of dusky gold, he was very handsome in Yugi's eyes, and beautiful. Beautiful like the darkness and just as deadly. But he did not mind a kiss from him. He knew he should be frightened but he was not. Perhaps that was the most terrifying thing of all.

"And you will stay with me all night?"

"All night and should you need me, I shall always come." The darkling promises all.

_His _ darkling. Yugi very much liked the sound of that. "Do we have a deal?"

"It's a deal," said he to the imp, who pressed a delicate caress of his lips to Yugi's cheek and all at once, he was again sitting at the wheel and Yugi watched him carefully as Yami spun the straw into threads of gold.

Curious eyes and a calculating mind processed his every move. Scrutinized every gesture of firm, slender fingers as they pulled. Analyzed every twitch of his brow and tap of his foot. Observed his every action, but for all his cleverness, Yugi could not figure how Yami was casting his magic when he appeared to be doing nothing more than spinning. Seeing his frustration and confusion, Yami spun to him and said with a sly smile. "'Tis not words or gestures that generates magic, little one. Magic is not intellectual thought. It is emotion, raw earnest feeling. Everyone has that spark inside of them, but they never invoke it. And to turn straw into gold, you must with your very being, _feel_, envision and will with all your soul, the transformation of something worthless into something precious and valuable, and it shall be done."

"How did you do it?" It was a curious question. It was an earnest need to know. Innocent, really, but it still invoked the worst of his memories and Yami could only frown. His hands stopped, his shoulder slouched. Everything about his posture reflected his mood and his mood was one of sad times and grief he'd sooner forget.

"Do you want to know how I became this way, little one?"

It was a test. Yugi could hear it in his voice. Did he truly wish to know the truth behind his darkling? The beautiful, dark, alluring creature he'd met only hours before.

"Yes." Yugi nodded and Yami saw no lie in his eyes.

"It is not a pleasant story, little one. It does not have a pleasant ending," he warned but once again his eyes were sad.

"I'd still like to know," said Yugi with earnest concern and determination.

The darkling smiled a small, pinched smile and confessed all. "I do not remember who I am or who I was but what I do remember is that before I was cursed to this fate, my life was charmed and my power was unchallenged. I had a wife who, I adored with all my heart, but lost to childbirth. But I had my son whom I loved with all my soul, and my best and truest friend who was my most trusted companion and advisor. I was loved by all and my life was so blessed that I was blind to the fact that someone sought to take it all away. This man craved my power and thought me weak and foolish and unable to properly use it, and fool that I was, I ignored his rants and so was my downfall. For he had aligned himself with a being of dark magic and persuaded him of my fictitious evil deeds, and so he had this man place a horrible curse upon my body so that my form became the reflection of what you see now," his terrible claws clicked together with a terrible sound as he spoke.

"He stole all of my power and then commanded his brother, my own advisor and best friend; to rule with him so it would be there family that commanded all the greatness they were denied. But oh, my loyal friend refused, he called this man who'd robbed me of everything a coward and a monster who cared for not but his own renown and said that I was more his family than this wicked, greedy man could ever be, and so harsh were his words that they filled my assailant with a rage so bitter and brutal that the man who called himself my advisor's brother, plunged a blade into his heart, and so savage was his rage and grief that he accused me of corrupting his brother who, for all this man's wickedness, he loved as fiercely as I had loved my son. And so, he sought to answer treachery in kind by taking my only child from me."

"What did you do," Yugi had asked without thinking, his voice all breath and so engrossed with the story was he that it brought tears to his eyes.

The imp frowned and lowered his head so his unruly bangs had shadowed his eyes, and continued "What happened next I would give anything to forget. I begged and pleaded for him to spare my child whom I loved, for I cared not for pride or wealth if the price was his life, and this is where my something horrible and worthless comes from. For he told me he would spare the life of my only child if I kissed his boots. And so, to spare my child, I sacrificed my honor and my pride and did what he asked, for all my love and my terror had made me foolish enough to believe his word. But instead he laughed at me and told me I was a fool, for I had taught all who served me to love me and love was a weakness and to drive his lesson home, he killed my sweet child and told me as I held his broken body, had I known the true meaning of power I'd have never done what I did to spare his life, I'd have simply let him be, for if my child meant nothing to me than there would not have been a reason for the man who was now my hated enemy to kill him. And so blinded was I by my rage and my despair that I sought this man's demise but my curse had transformed me into an imp and little more than a Phantom whom he struck away and as my curse took hold, I fell into darkness and when awoken, I could remember nothing but how I came to be like this.

"I had expected my death and so I was transfixed to see the face of my savior had been the very same sorcerer who cursed me to my fate, and his face was so marred by guilt and devastation by what he had done that he confessed all, and said he'd been told I was a tyrant who intended to let my people starve and sought to free them from my wrath and only after he cast my curse did he realize that he had been deceived. Though he could not undo my curse he told me how it may be broken and how one must guess my true identity with no hint from me and my memory would be restored, but that the name used to seal my fate must be uttered by the one whom the curse must be transferred and, to further aid my cause, he taught me all the magic that I now possess.

"And the lesson that allowed me to do as I teach you was this: transform a lump of coal, he told me, into something precious by recalling the worst moment of my life, when I myself felt cold and worthless, and I did. I recalled the man I hated and what he made me do before the eyes of my son and I imagined what I'd do to him in turn and what evil things they were, but then I realized none of them were a fit retribution. Then I imagined once my power was capable of doing so, I would control his body and make him get on his hands and knees and lick the mud from _my _boots, but it would not be in front of his son or anyone else, but when we were alone, for after that, even if all the world adored him and hate me, _he_ would know what he had done. _He _would know what _I _made him do, and he could fool all the world but himself, but only he and I would know how truly powerless and useless he truly was. And once I willed that thought with my whole soul, I opened my hands and gone was the ugly lump of coal and a sparkling diamond was in its place. Now, do you understand little one? It is emotion that creates magic. You must _feel_ what you want and will it so with all your being, but this particular talent is not crafted by rage, or hate, or bloodlust…"

"It is retribution," finished Yugi, who now understood the moral behind the darkling's tale. "Then above all else, I must use my magic to help you break your curse," Yugi declared proudly.

And Yami smiled and laughed "That is all fair and done, little one." And he spread his knees upon the stool and patted his lap, leering "but the night is short and we have much straw to spin, now come here and tell me how you plan to turn it all to gold."

And Yugi slid into the darkling's lap. He welcomed the other into his seat with the faintest of caresses to Yugi's hips, and Yugi allowed himself to fall against the rough chest of the darkling who was his for the night, he weaved the straw through the spindle, but try as he might, feel as he might, all he managed to spin was straw.

And so frustrated was he, he did not notice graceful arms encircle his waist, until he heard "Relax." An intimate murmur purring against his ear, and he shivered but it was neither from fear nor cold.

"Now close your eyes and tell me how you plan to spin all this straw into gold."

And with the threaded straw in hand, Yugi obeyed and closed his eyes, pressed himself deeper against the strong chest. And as he spun the straw he said, envisioning all "He made me kneel, that terrible, greedy, King. He made me kneel and apologize to those spoiled, foolish girls even thought I had done nothing wrong and had done nothing to draw attention to myself."

"Then what?" came a half-purr in reply, that nuzzled pleasantly against his neck, then his neck, then his collar.

This time Yugi was the one who purred. "They attacked me because I refused to answer their stupidity and acknowledge their vanity but I didn't care if they humiliated me and called me worthless or if he called me a potential wife. I was about to leave this place and never come back. I was about to be free and then because of those stupid girls, that greedy king, and my cowardly father, it was all gone. And I realized as they dragged me to this cold, dark tower, that no matter how hard I worked, or how hard I tried or what I did, I would never become more than what I was…powerless," he said through angry teeth. "And do you know what I wanted?"

"Tell me?" one arm looped loosely about his middle, tightened; the other encircled his shoulders and dragged him back towards the strong, firm chest.

The reminiscent of a smirk slit Yugi's face as he spun the straw."I wanted nothing more than to become more than them, better than them."

"And what do you want to do?" Slow kisses slid hungrily down his skin and Yugi soon realized he was trembling from delight. Or delirium. Maybe both.

"I wanted," said the Miller's son with a dark, alluring smile "To make _them_ bow. I wanted to make them get on their hands and knees and grovel and I wanted them to stay like that and I wanted _them_ to know that they were worthless and that neither their beauty, nor wealth, nor birth would give them dignity or earn them love. And I wanted them to see that though I was a poor miller's son, I had more power and freedom than they would ever have as the wife and queen of that greedy, lecherous king."

All at once, the imp stopped him and when curious eyes opened, he saw to his delight that no longer was their straw between his fingers but glimmering, glistening threads of lustrous gold. And do delighted was he that he felt the magic spiraling between his fingers and in his very being. Yami laughed and holding him tightly said "You have accomplished your first lesson, my witty one." And he pressed his chin to Yugi's shoulder and purred in his ear. "Now come and show me how clever you are." And his dark eyes were ember bright and smoldering and oh, how they made Yugi tremble with every touch but Yugi was clever and he held no illusions of what this imp, this darkling was. All sharp smiles and painfully alluring and darkness. Beautiful, shadowy darkness and power that swirled around him like a living being. But to him it was neither cruel nor frightening, but mirthful and frolic, and devilishly sweet like shadowy black kittens, all pawing and purring for their master's attention. And all for him: those smoldering eyes, those coltish smiles, those nimble, gentle fingers caressing his cheeks with the very lightest of touches, that only served to make him shiver.

And so charmed and jubilated was Yami by this sweet, sweet and oh so witty creature that no amount of grief could mar his smile, and so delirious with rapture was he, that when his arm slouched down and touched the straw, it strung itself on its own and set to work preparing itself to be spun. And only when they turned to see, did they notice on its own the spindle and straw spinning itself into bobbin after bobbin of beautiful, precious gold,

"Well, well, my witty dear," panted the imp, each word laced with charm. "Now do you see, just how truly special you are?"

And Yugi spun in his lap and crushed his lips to Yami's with so much force that they fell from the stool and fumbled in a pile of threaded gold. Both mewling, panting, kissing, fingers sliding enticingly, devouring hungrily. All the while their fun and play spelled the straw to spin. Whirr, whirr, whirr! Three times round until the bobbin was full and when it was it, popped off it went and came another. Whirr, whirr, whirr! Three times round, until that one was full and so went on until morning when all the straw had been spun, and all the bobbins filled with gold and resting upon a pile of glittering thread, slept the Miller's son and his darkling worn and tired from their night of spinning, and teaching, and play.

When the sun rose and morning threatened to come, the imp gently woke his sleeping companion and said "I must take my leave now, little one. For the sun is rising and the king shall be coming for you soon."

"When will I see you again?" asked the Miller's son who sensed his urgency but was none the less saddened.

"You will see me when you need me for I shall always come to you" promised the imp who then stroked his cheek and kissed his forehead.

"Do you promise," asked Yugi.

"I promise," and the imp promised all and with that he vanished in a whirl of gold smoke.

At sunrise came the King Marik and when he opened the door and saw the gold, he was very much astonished and very much rejoiced. So rejoiced that all at once his greed become a sickness of the mind, and overcome by his avarice that he dragged the Miller's son away to a much larger room that was filled with straw. Just as cold, just as dark, and just as dank and lonely as the first, and filled with even more straw. The King told him to set to work and that if he valued his life, he would spin it all into gold by the night's end.

Only when he was alone did Yugi voice his displeasure for he was tired of spinning straw into gold, but he wanted very much to see his darkling, and so he sat by the window and called his name and while he waited sat at the stool and willed the spindle to spin the straw into gold.

Then the window burst open, and following a strong gust, slender hands seized his shoulders and spun him around in his stool. Fingers grasping, ghosting over hips and up his sides, and familiar lips cutting off his cry with a rough kiss: thick with fervent, and want, and sharp brilliance, and piercing need, and deep longing.

"I missed you." The imp purred and intimate murmur and his leer just as ember bright as before.

"Did you really?" Came the coy reply.

Fingers ghosted up his thigh. "Would I lie to you?"

So alluring was he. Alluring and darkness and terrible secrets and wicked delight, but oh, so very alluring that Yugi swallowed a nervous gulp. "You would."

Smoldering crimson softened to wine. A touch feathery soft and barely visible and more intimate than any before, brushed his cheek. "Aa…not to you, never to you."

"How can I be sure," asked he, for though he very much liked his darkling, he had no illusions. This creature—painfully alluring, ruthlessly so, but darkness swirled around him, promising all, but did nothing to curve his uncertainty.

""Because I would never make a promise to you that I couldn't keep." Soft eyes, a gentle smile, genuine trust and affection and promising all and Yugi could see no lie in his face.

"No, you wouldn't. Not to me. You'd better not to me." It was a promise and at the same time a threat.

Dexterous hands cupped his cheeks and there was so much blatant desire in his smile that he felt Yugi shiver. "Iie, never to you."

A warm smile. A sweet laugh. Clasping golden fingers from the frame of his cheeks and weaving them between his own. "What will you teach me tonight, my darkling?"

Yami chuckled, low and warm and deep in his throat "I see that greedy king was not as satisfied with the fruits of our previous night's labor?"

"No," snorted Yugi "Now he wants me to spin all this into gold, but I would rather learn a new lesson before the night is through."

Yami smiled and slid into his seat, positioning Yugi in his lap, arms trapped over his shoulders, urgent little fingers spidering delicately over tiny hips and a soft thigh. "Then let us begin for I have much to teach you. And tonight, I will teach you the power of a name."

"A name," asked Yugi.

"A _true _name," smirked the imp. "For the sorcerer taught me that one's true name, from beginning to end, holds the greatest power of all. With it you can control all that they are." Smoldering crimson, ember-bright and shimmering locked with lust-hazed amethyst, and Yugi couldn't help but shudder at what he saw there. "Remember my words, little one, magic is not intellectual focus, it is emotion. If you _feel_ them obeying your every whim and put that emotion into the words you speak, in this case, their name, than that name can do anything. Even seal a curse."

Venom was how he spat that final say, and all at once Yugi understood. "Is that how you were cursed and why you do not know your name?"

And the imp stopped and suddenly became very firm. "Yes, little one." His smile was impressed. "For during my time, my name was known to all and spoken by all and though I was called everything but the name I was born with, it was so vastly known that I could do nothing to keep in hidden from my enemy. And to cast my curse, my own name was used as its seal, so that I could not recall my true identity, and a new name was given to replace it. The name that was used to cast the curse, and to break it, it must be transferred to the one who says this name, but only if it is spoken in my voice and not to them."

"That does not sound fair," scoffed the Miller's son, but his darkling merely chuckled.

"'Tis a curse, little one, it is not meant to be fair," said he. "Now make haste, for morning will rise and there is much straw to spin."

And the Miller's son pouted and said "How about we set the wheel to spin, like before, for I do not want to waste our precious time weaving the King's gold." Lust-glazed violet bore deeply into ember-bright scarlet and as his fingers brushed the wheel and all at once, it started to spin.

And before the imp could reply, Yugi had spun in his lap and was kissing him again, hard and warm and wet and sweet and soon, the warm willing body perched in his lap and grasping his chest with tiny greedy, hands was all he cared for, and so alive felt he, that the room itself, was alive with magic and with a powerful flash, all the straw had become glistening, glittering, priceless gold.

"Hmm…" the imp licked his lips when Yugi pulled away. "Very well, my Yugi."

Yugi took in every inch of his pretty darkling, all smoldering eyes and cheeky grins and mischievous laughs, and beautiful, alluring and dark as a midnight rose. "Where did you come from?" he wondered aloud a firm chest cuddling against a soft, subtle cheek.

"Here, I think?" Came the curious reply. A curious hand running through soft, soft hair, a slender arm looped about his waist. When had they ended upon the floor, amongst the threaded fields of gold? "All of my memories are of here and I can recall seeing other places and lands, but I cannot recall living anywhere else? What about you my sweet darling?" Came an inquisitive murmur, a sheer, mischievous flirtation. "Or am I to assume you truly did fall from paradise?"

A giggle was his reward. "I lived with my father, a grandfather, a grandmother, and mother and a home. At first it was pleasant, but as my grandpa told me stories of other kingdoms and exotic places, I wanted to see them. But as things became harder and harder at the mill and we grew poorer, my grandparents died, my father became lazy and I grew to hate the mill and wanted to become so much more than my lazy father."

"And you mother? What became of her?" A comforting stroke of his hair petted the bad memories away.

"I don't know. She left the mill when I was young and I never saw her again. I never forgave her." Came the dark reply.

"For what?"

"Leaving me behind." His words were cold, but he scooted up Yami's chest, wrapped his arms around his neck and kissed him forcefully, claiming the imp greedily. Tasting spice and sweetness and mystery. "But it doesn't matter now." Another kiss. They broke apart, breathless, flushed, and panting. "I have you."

"Yes, you do." The imp promised all, for his Yugi was such a tantalizing little creature. And oh, how Yami wanted him. This would never be enough, just his little one's touch, his kiss, left him moaning and aching and, oh so wonderful. "Only you." He cried into their next kiss, wanting more, but morning was about to come, and he knew they needed to stop. He kissed Yugi's forehead and said "I'm sorry, little one, but the morning will come and I must leave."

"Will you come again?" Breathless, lust-glazed and not a question at all.

"Of course," said the imp. "Call for me and I shall always come to you." And with that he vanished in a puff of smoke through the window.

At sunrise came the King and his spectators who did not believe he had spun the gold. Not a poor miller's boy. Not he could be so special. All at once they came upon the room of Yugi's tower and found it, filled with gold. The king was rejoiced beyond measure, but the foreign girls were my much displeased.

"If he can truly turn straw into gold, let him show us how!" said one.

"Yes! Yes! Make him spin the gold before our eyes," said another.

"Yes! Surely, it is something else, one as worthless as he cannot be so clever."

Unfrazzled by their anger and eager to test his new skills, Yugi said "You do not believe me capable, you silly, incompetent fools. No, of course you don't. How could ones so stupid ever hope to master the cleverness to spin straw into gold?"

He returned to the stool and started to spin, and how the King rejoiced and the girls despaired when they watched each string of worthless srtraw become glittering, golden thread.

The darkest, slightest curl of a smile slit his face. The authoritative gaze bore into each girl. Satisfaction from each of their dreadful shivers. "Now, that you know that I am superior to you…bow to me." His tone was sharp and dark and absolute. "Princess Tea Von Lily, Princess Vivian Le Wong, and Princess Rebecca Hawkins _bow_ to me and show me how worthless you are."

All at once, each girl dropped to her knees. Stomachs pressed to dank, dirty stone, arms spread long and wide and straight and each released a terrible shriek frozen in place and body disobeying. And they stayed bowing to the Miller's son, begging, pleading, all to the dark satisfaction of he. And when he released them from his spell, he laughed as they ran away quickening with tears and fear.

Now this delighted the King, for all he saw was Yugi spinning straw into gold. When he did, his sickness grew, and all he wanted was more gold. Such an audacious, avaricious, unworthy king.

All at once, he seized the Miller's son and dragged him to a room so large Yugi could not see the ceiling, an ordered it to be completely filled with straw and said. "This too, must be spun in one night, and if you accomplish it, I shall give you the greatest reward of all, and make you my queen!" For he thought _Though he is but a miller's boy. I will not find a richer prize in all the world. _

Shock and horror had rendered him silent, but once Yugi was alone and trapped did he fall to his knees and weep. Surely, there was no crueler fate than being the greedy King's wife.

"Yugi?" Yami appeared for a third time, a shiver of horror and surprise at Yugi's tear-stained cheeks and wet eyes. "Oh little one, whatever is the matter?" And he fell to his knees before the Miller's son.

Soft hands slid up his cheek. Gentle thumbs rubbed away the dampness and lifted his chin. And his caresses were so tender and warm, his eyes so loving with worry, that Yugi's eyes flooded with tears, and he buried his face in Yami's chest. A shiver of confusion ran up the imp's spine, and his soft hands now stroked the boy's back but his darling one said nothing, only cried. "Oh little one, please tell me what's matter?" And he looked around and saw this room was the largest room he'd seen and that it was filled to the brim with straw and said. "If you are worried about the straw, we can spin it—"

"No!" cried Yugi fervently protesting with a continuous shaking of his head. "If we spin this straw into gold, then the King said that he would make me his wife! And I would rather die than be his queen."

All at once, Yami could not speak. He felt consumed. Shock and horror and anger and jealousy and possession and all at once, his eyes slit with jealousy. "I won't let that happen!" Growled the imp, arms tightening with protectiveness and possessiveness around Yugi's slim waist. His Yugi, his tantalizing little creature who was sweetness and strength and light and pride and freedom swirled about him, and that fiery strength would shatter with just a single, unwelcome touch from that greedy, lecherous King. "I won't let him have you."

Suddenly, Yugi became very angry and shoved the imp away. Upset and angry and terrified he growled "Is this why you wanted my first born child for your own? Did you know I would only have it after I became Queen?"

"Of course not!" Confessed the imp. "I meant what I said I wanted a child to love and raise, but I would have never asked if I thought even for a moment, your child would be his, for I would not wish such a fate on the worst of my enemies." His accent was thick with tears and truth, and so strong was his conviction that Yugi fell to his knees and his eyes flooded with tears.

"I don't want to be his wife if that is the price I must pay for the power I seek. I don't want to have his child…" And as he cried, he buried his face in Yami's chest and wove his fingers in his shirt. "I only want to be your wife and have your children. You're the only one I want." Yugi confessed all, and lifted his head. Tears still burning his eyes and he took the elegant hands from his face and wove his own slender fingers in between golden fingertips. Their gentle grip was firm, and sweet. Yugi's soft cheek brushed Yugi's knuckles and all Yami wanted was to say 'yes'.

Beautiful amethyst frozen in misery and heavy with desire bore deeply and pleadingly into deep, warm crimson. A curve of understanding and longing molded his lips. A gentle softness kissed away his tears. It was so gentle and foreign and sweet and heartbreaking. Promising all, but unwilling to expose one so loved to the terrible, terrible burden.

"You're all I have ever wanted, my darling Yugi," he breathed, a heartbreaking whisper. "All I've ever needed, you don't see me as a monster, or as a beast. You're so clever and witty and pretty and strong and all I've ever wanted and more…" Fingers tightened their grip. He forced himself to face the floor. It was all he could do to keep himself from falling and taking his darling with him.

"But I cannot give you what you want. I cannot make you a queen, or give you a castle and servants to obey you and subjects to admire and bow at your feet, for with such power as I posses, I can only invoke misunderstanding and fear. I can only offer you isolation and darkness, and restless nights and constant flight when fear becomes hate. I cannot give you the power you wish."

A fervent shake of his head protested and with earnest eyes he said "I don't want _that_ power. I don't want to be like that greedy king and awful girls because it's fake. The admiration is forced, their positions are merely show and that awful king who thinks he's so above me and thinks no one can control him, but he is just as poor and so blinded by his greed that he cannot see he has none at all. He needs a rich wife, and others constantly seek to control him. That is the nature of that power…the more powerful you think you are, the less power you actually have. It is unstable and unsecure and never, ever safe, never content and never enough. His life is unfulfilled and I don't want that power, my loving imp." Amethyst understanding clear and brilliant and bright, never looking away from the imp's gaze, never letting go of his hands. Only a smile, rich with desire and delight. "I have my own power, the power you taught me, and I have you. You showed me that I never have to feel the way the king and those awful girls made me feel ever again, show me that I don't need a castle or servants or approval to feel strong."

Slim hands pulled away. He stepped forward, fingers curving desperately around silken shirt, cheek pressed to a firm chest, smiling more, when desperate hands pulled him closer. "I have our power. I know, even if you leave me, I never have to feel worthless again, and if isolation and a life on the run is that price, than I will pay it, as long…" his chin rose, Yami's head bowed. Blazing amethyst and lustrous red showing only devotion. "As long as you can give me love. Can you?"

"Yes, my darling," he vocalized the promise. "I want to give you love."

"I want that," said Yugi. "What is being a queen when I have the heart of the most magical being in all the world. And what is the admiration of all the world without someone to share it with."

Yami kissed him. Hard and rough and frantic was their union and before Yugi could kiss back, the imp pulled away, rich crimson dark with desire. "Yugi, what if I amend our contract, thus instead of your random first born, since with your new magic one power that you shall have is the ability to create life within you, that said will you instead give me _my_ child, who we shall love and raise together as one?"

No words. No stretch of the imagination could describe how pleased Yugi became. So pleased he pressed his warm, heavy body enticingly against him and purred. "I would gladly make that deal." Hands slid under Yami's shirt. Nails raked up velvety skin. His reward was aloud moan and a trembling chest. Seeking fingers started stroking claiming, urgently pulling at hips and sliding down to his thighs.

Heat and touch and kiss and moan and so much want. Oh, how Yami wanted this delectable little creature, but it wasn't enough. He wanted needed all of him…needed to be buried in that sweet warmth. Needed to be pressed against that soft body. Needed Yugi tight and sweet and moaning, screaming, writhing underneath him, begging, pleading, promising. Needed him frantic and wanting and his, only his. His to claim and take and kiss and love: his and his alone forever.

Yugi was in his arms with a single lift. Their kiss never broke, neither noticed the spindle and straw beginning to weave and weave, and whirr, whirr, whirr, so fast the bobbins couldn't keep up and mountains of thread quickly replaced the straw. And he set his precious, precious one on a bed of golden thread. With the gentlest parting, he pulled away and said "Stay with me." His words were barely a whisper and looked into mirrored longing and a silent plea. "As long as your heart is mine, than mine is yours. Stay with me, love me, do as I say, promise me and I will be your slave. Whatever you want, the moon, the world, the stars? Tell me, and you'll have them on a silver tray. Just promise me you love me."

And Yugi paused for a moment, bewilderment was all he read. Then his eyes softened and half-lidded and a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. Fingers curled around his shoulders, the grip firm and pulling, his breath danced up the imp's neck, his cheek to the shell of his ear. An odd gesture of affection, but Yugi knew its effect and whispered "Instead of my slave will you be my husband, and promise until the end of time, I'll be your wife?"

A smirk was his reward. His words dispelled any and all clouds of doubt. Gravity, unyielding, and loving and absolute, danced playful and severe in each word. "Yes, I will be your husband. I will make you my wife, my lover, my queen, my co-ruler of the world. Be mine and make me yours until the end of my days and I will do anything to make you smile."

"Do you promise?" Came Yugi's playful ponder with a coy smile and a tilt of his chin. "What can I have?"

"Anything!" The imp pressed his lips to Yugi's temple, the words a whispering promise more sacred than a prayer. "You need but ask." Oh, his tone was deep and husky and made Yugi shiver in delight. "Anything?" he teased, full of adoration.

"_Anything_," Yami stressed against him, soft noses tickled the other in an Eskimo kiss and looked into fiery eyes. "Make love to me, Yami" said he. "Make love to me so that when morning dawns and the King comes for me, I'll be no one else but yours."

The loving imp beamed so wide his smile slit his face and with leering eyes and a powerful kiss he said. "You need but ask."

They fell together, intertwined in a bed of threaded gold, locked in a kiss meant to last an eternity. Hands wondered over slim curves and up firm muscles, slipping under cloth and purchasing skin. Discarding rags and cloths. Yugi, soft, pale, smooth and slim body crashing against Yami's, strong, and firm, and lean, and all rough and scaled between Yugi's fingers and dusky, dusted, flecks of gold, but Yugi cared not for the imp's appearance so long as he was his.

Naked flesh, wet lips tasting, teasing, kissing. Hands seizing fingers and Yugi moaning. Firm fingers stroking his hips and thighs. Warm lips nipping his thighs, kissing his belly and oh, so skilled was his darkling.

Yami pulled away to lick his lips and smiled greedily devouring the sight displayed before him. His precious, precious Yugi, too good for anyone else, even him, but who wanted him all the same. So soft and warm and trembling and wanting and willing beneath him. Beautiful. Beautiful and vulnerable and unashamed. Yugi eyes slid halfway closed and he praised his open arms, and Yami knew he was lost.

He descended into willing arms. Lips eager to taste and ready to devour. First Yugi's neck than his collar, down his chest to his belly, strong hands held him in place. Tender thighs spread wide and inviting.

"Yami." A desperate, urging moan and his own hands began to wonder. "Yami."

"You don't know how beautiful you are?" They fell together again, intertwined, arms embracing the other, hips locked, legs tangled, flushed and panting and eyes shaded by love and want.

Desire so strong, they ached and needed more.

"Yugi?" Softly cupping hands, patiently waiting. Hips shifting, position, but never morning.

"Yami?" he questioned but all at once understood. "Yes," he nodded. _Pleasepleaseplease. _

"Aaah." Thighs parted. Blunt pressure entering, enveloping sweet, sweet warmth. Twin lips parting, mewling, gasping. Pleasure and pain and foreign and familiar and tears prickling the edges of brilliant amethyst, but he was quick to kiss them away.

_Relax._ Loving scarlet urged, promising and trusting.

A whimpering scream, a desperate kiss. Impatient hands over gold-dusted flesh. "Please, please, please."

He needed but ask.

A pleasured scream, a desperate groan. Limbs locked, backs arched, hips locking, breathless pleas.

"Yami…"

"Yugi…"

He thrust deeper, velvet warmth parting, inviting, enveloping desperately. A scream and a kiss when they pulled a part. A scream and a kiss when they united again. They danced on their own accord. Yugi whimpered and moaned as his darkling, now his lover, pushed deeper. Breathless and ghosting his name over heated, naked skin. He positioned his hips, thrusting up as Yami pushed down, taking him deeper. A grasp was his reward.

Slim arms enveloped Yugi's body, holding him steady. Yami, rough and wild with want, thrust harder. Yugi buckled his hips with a cry. He couldn't have asked for a sweeter reward. He moaned and thrust, wild with passion. Driving deeper and deeper into velvet warmth, never once looking away from pleasure glazed amethyst eyes.

_Yugi._ The very word was sacred now. Had he not promised to made him smile?

_Yes. Yes. _Pale fingers latched onto his arms, kiss bruised lips cried out his name. All at once he understood. He moved faster, thrust harder slammed frantically, inside his precious, precious lover and soon he was trembling.

"Yugi…"

He looked into ruby eyes, dark and clouded and softening just for him. Yugi pulled himself up and kissed him hard. Yugi pulled himself up, and kissed him hard. Knees locked around Yami's hips. Positioning himself, he bounced in Yami's lap, thrusting deeper, urging him to push harder, and oh yes, his darkling agreed.

They kissed and thrust, hard and deep and gentle and true and the steps were their own. Heat built, unbearable and undeniable, and too good to deny and neither of them wished too.

"I loved you," the darkling whispered as darkness enveloped them. "I love you so."

"Forever," agreed his consort, eyes wet with ecstasy and love. "I love you forever more."

A desperate hug, a last final frantic act of love-making and cry of completion. The other branded in their essence: they tumbled together marked and claimed and for no other, still intertwined and lying on a mattress of spun gold.

"I love you." This time Yugi spoke first.

Yami smiled and hugged the darkling lying on his chest and wrapped his arms about his waist, so he was nice and secure in his lap.

"Forever, I love you from now until then."

They lay together. Yugi curled against the darkling's chest and Yami's fingers twirling in his hair. Content to stay like that, but morning was fast approaching.

"Yami?" asked Yugi, a gentle finger traced invisible patterns on his chest. "Can we really have this: power, freedom _and _love?"

"We can," the imp sat up, Yugi still bound in his arms and lap. "But first we need to get you out of this tower. Now, that I've had you I do not plan to share you with the King."

"The King." Venom was in Yugi's words. "We can't leave until he's had his retribution." His eyes were fierce and determined and commitment compelled his lover to listen. "He humiliated me and I know it was he who hurt you, and we can never be free unless he's vanquished."

"You're so clever, little one," said Yami and placed and impressed kiss on his cheek. "But how? Even with his name it would do little if he does not know it is me…"

"Name…" All at once a brilliant plan formed in Yugi's mind. "I know how we can scold the King _and_ free you from your curse."

When the morning came, King Marik returned and found all done according to his wish, he was so overjoyed that he said "We shall be married at once!" But before his will could be done and with the greatest haste, the Miller's son was overcome by dread and pleaded "Wait, you mustn't marry me for if I lose my virtue then I will lose my powers and all the gold I've spun will return to straw."

The King was very much distraught for he was very avaricious and did not want to lose his gold, but as well, he did not want to lose the Miller's boy for he was very beautiful and the King wanted him so, and he could not risk the boy leaving and spinning gold for anyone else but him. Unwilling and unyielding, he ceased the Miller's boy by his arm and said. "Is there a way to prevent that? There must be! Don't lie to me!"

So scared was the Miller's boy that he confessed all and said "There is a way, you must wait for three days for the spell to settle and the wedding must be held at noon on the fourth day because the gold was spun at night."

"Very well," said the King, consumed by greed and glee and caused the preparations for their wedding to be held at once. "Then in three days time we shall be wed!" commanded the King, who seized the Miller's boy by the wrist and led him out of the tower, down the stairs through the castle and up more stairs until he came upon a separate room, larger still than the previous three and vastly different from the last. Large and lavish and expensive and fit for a queen. Plumes of silk and fine embroidery, a large window framed in gold, canopy bed draped in silk and a throne of pillows. Bureau, vanity, and wardrobe filled with the clothes of the finest fabrics and riches embroidery.

"This room will be yours until we are wed. Now, bathe yourself and change out of your rags." He commanded, leaving Yugi to his own devices and left to count his bobbins of gold, and he counted well into the night, laughing at his good fortune.

Suddenly, he heard laughter from the room of his bride-to-be and all at once he became suspicious. Voices. Not one but two: one that of the Miller's boy, the other familiar and strange that said "Just two more nights until the spell is cast."

"And then will you tell me your name?" The voice was that of the Miller's boy and so full of adoration that the King became enraged.

"You know I cannot, for if I reveal my true name and you speak it a loud, I will be forced to leave you forever," said the stranger just as longing. "Now, sleep my dear, you're going to be a bride and all at once the King heard the stranger chant…

"Today I break, tomorrow I brew

"And the day after that my bride comes in.

"And oh, I'm glad that nobody knew

"The name I'm called is—"

And when he heard "bride", the King stormed in but the room was empty accept for his future bride was asleep on the bed. He shook the boy awake and demanded. "Who was here? I heard voices!"

And the boy sleepily awoke, confused and said "I'm sorry, but no one is here but me. I just finished the chants I need to ensure your straw remains as gold."

Now the King was weary but at the mention of his gold, he became delighted and left the boy to his own devices. And the next day as preparations continued, and the King greedily went to count his gold but as he passed his future bride's room, he again heard voices and spied him through the door and watched him all night, until with a guest of wind appeared a terrible, terrible being, so hideous and horrible, it must've been a demon. And he watched as its eyes fell upon the Miller's boy. Wickedly bright, blazing demonic red and smiling with devilish delight, it slid upon the Miller's boy upon the bed and said "Only one more night, my love." The terrible imp seduced the Miller's boy with a stroke of the cheek. "Then you shall come away with me and become my bride."

And the Miller's son giggled in delight, and teased the imp. "How am I to be your bride, if I do not know your name?"

And the imp frowned and said "You know the answer to that. My name is cursed, if I recite my name and the one who ears it, speaks it aloud than I will disappear forever, and I don't ever want to leave you." The imp cupped the boy's hands and affectionately rubbed their noses together. A gesture so fake the King felt sick.

All at once, he became enraged. How dare this arrogant, horrible, terrible, terrible creature come to his castle and seduce his poor, naïve bride into wrong doing and all at once he thought to fling himself upon the brute until the Miller's boy said. "Can I guess your name? That way you never have to say it out loud?"

And the imp blinked once, then smiled and said. "Oh how very clever you are miller's child, very well, if it shall please you than you can guess my name."

And the King listened as his soon-to-be-bride beginning with "Casper," "Melchior," "Balthazar," repeated every name he knew and when his efforts bore no fruit, he repeated all the most names, singular and unusual, rare and imaginative, but the terrible imp's answer was always the same: "That is not my name," until well into the night, it said "Now sleep, my dear, for tomorrow we wed." And all at once the Miller's son collapsed into slumber.

Laughing, dark and arrogant, and rejoicing in his victory the imp danced, fervent and wild and every inch a demonic creature that the King could only watch and listen as it sang:

"Today I break, tomorrow I brew

"And the day after that my bride comes in.

"And oh, I'm glad that nobody knew

"The name I'm called is—Rumplestiltskin!"

And vanished with a puff of gold and red smoke.

All at once, the King was overcome with delight. A wicked plan forming in his mind. Gold forgotten, confronting his bride no longer priority. Triumph in his smile, his hands clapped with glee. At once he caused his plan to be set in emotion. Soon his bewitched bride would be free, and the awful imp would be trapped and gone.

And when the third night came, the King was ready at his bride's room, the Miller's boy naïve to his presence and into the night they both waited. The Miller's boy perched by the window waiting and the terrible King waiting in the shadows.

The window flew open and in a spiral of wind and gold, he appeared. The terrible, terrible imp looking at the Miller's boy with blazing, lustrous, leering eyes.

The imp approached the miller's boy and said "Now, Mr. Queen, it is the third night, the spell is cast and set." His words were a lullaby, he held out his hand to the boy and the King was consumed by rage when he saw the boy who would be his bride and make him a rich king, take it. And his hypnotized bride said "Yes, the spell is done. Now all that's left is for us to marry at noon, because the gold was spun at night."

"Yes," nodded the imp, who pulled the boy into his arms and kissed his nose. "Come my bride, let us leave this place and be forever free."

"And when we are, will you tell me your name?" asked the Miller's son. And the imp smiled and said. "Very well, my darling, if it will please you, I will tell you, my name is—"

"RUMPLESTILTSKIN!"

Choosing the cruelest moment to utter his curse, and claim his win, King Marik emerged from the darkness eyes wild with conquest, his laugh victorious as he spoke the name and in his face, the shadow of satisfaction. "You are called Rumplestiltskin, and now that you're name has been uttered aloud you are no more!"

The King's arrival had shocked them both in place and his words filled them both with dread. And with these words a look of horror consumed his face to the King's delight. His triumphant, arrogant laughter echoing in the imp's ears as his body began to fade and vaporize into a cloud of golden dust and vanished on the wind.

"No!" cried the Miller's boy, desperate hands grabbed at the dust but the wind avoided his grasp and to his knees the Miller's son fell, and oh, how he cried, and no doubt would until the terrible imp's spell was gone, concluded the King.

The King's harsh hands grabbed him. Angry eyes glared commanding any cruel and victorious. "Now, my dear, that I have thwarted your plot you shall become _my_ bride and make me a rich King."

And he threw him on the bed and said. "And now that you are free from the monstrous demon's influence, you are truly mine. Remember that!" And he left the boy alone, to prepare for their wedding, laughing and counting his gold and ordered wine and drank himself so full of relief he felt sick from it, and with great anticipation ordered entertainment to celebrate his victory and celebrate his wedding that would be held at noon.

And when morning came, the preparations were made, the entertainment gathered. Servants poured into the room of Yugi, who in a few hours would become a Queen. They awoke him, dressed him in white, adorned his hair, arms and throat with jewels, did his veil with flowers and led him from the tower and into the throne where the King was impatiently waiting.

The Miller's son put up no resistance. He had no fight, as he was brought and told to sit upon the throne, reserved for the Queen. _Good_ thought the King, tipsily. He was learning. The Kingdom had no need for anyone but a meek queen.

Triumphantly, he smiled at his bride who sat quietly in his seat, and ordered entertainment to celebrate for the dwindling hours before noon. As courtiers spun in a dance that imitated a properly oiled machine, ladies gossiped of dark plots and illicit affairs, men and lords quarreled and bragged about their lands and holdings and ladies and bartered like men at the market. Musicians played a tune that was only jolly and excited to those who were happy that they were not the bride, the Miller bragged about his increased fortune, the King delighted in his drink until the relief and pride of his victory made him sick with it, the foreign princess despaired. All enjoyed the pre-nuptials but the bride who sat quietly with his head bowed and his nails digging into the arms of his throne, impatient fingers tapping so loudly against the wood one could dance to the beat; and a strange figure draped in shadows and visibly in nothing but his raggedy, cloaks of black.

Suddenly, the queen perked up, the shadow figure weaved his way through the crowd. Swift and practiced and dancing about the wheels unnoticed and rolling like mist across the sea. Lean and mysterious and the beautiful darkness of his cloak dancing about his form in tassels of shadow, and he approached the throne with such grace even the most polished of hunters would gawk in envy.

The King, so drunk with relief and wine and greed and his own victory, said "And how shall you entertain my future bride"

The figure smirked beneath the shadow of his hood. He spun around, spread his arms like raven's wings, and his voice boomed "Now, my sired, I bring you a tale from a far off land."

And Yugi smiled with delight as the stranger recounted his tale, his voice boomed and the King sipped his wine.

"Once upon a time, a selfish and greedy man who foolishly coveted power envied a young King and all who loved him, and so envious was he that even his own brother loved this wondrous King. For he foolishly believed that he deserved the throne, unaware of the limitations he was placing upon himself and how it was neither beauty, nor name, nor wealth, nor titles that granted one power. And so terrible was his greed that he sought the aid of an honest-hearted Sorcerer and factiously painted the King as a tyrant. So, the Sorcerer set a curse upon the poor, unsuspecting King, transforming him into a corrupted reflection of himself with terrible eyes, whose largeness blazed with fire and uncertainty; and terrible skin scaled and encrusted with gold, and terrible claws, so long and black and sharp from each finger. And the greedy man slain the King's son, ceased his throne and threw the poor king away with no memory of who he was only how he was cursed."

And the courtiers "oohed" and "ahhed" at the tale. The soon to be queen's smile widened and his eyes lit with pleasure, while the King paused his drink to ponder the tale.

"Too late did the Sorcerer realize he had been tricked and unable to fix his mistake, in penance, he rescued the King, now an imp, and taught him the secrets of his arts, as well as the way to break his curse…" The figure smirked and raised his hood.

The King's glass dropped from his hand as he stared into blazing, smoldering eyes as crimson as blood, and heard the delightful laughter of the imp's conspirator sitting next to him in the throne meant for his Queen.

The shadows danced around him and the imp smiled as his cloak fell away reveling smug smoldering crimson eyes as wicked and wild as flames, gold encrusted skin, and claws as long and black as talons.

At the sight of him ladies shrieked, men cowered, and wheels of spinning dancers fell apart and swooned with faint.

"YOU!" Screamed the King so overcome with rage and horror and shock he lunged himself forward only to fall when the imp vanished in a blaze of smoke, and to the horror of all, he appeared slouching in the King's throne. And there, giggling with delight and satisfaction, sat the bride in his lap, arms around the imp's neck and the imps' looped loosely about his hips.

"Love…the dress," A drag of the first word, enlightened Yami's compliment as he nuzzled his nose against Yugi. "But I do not believe you should be wearing white, Yugi."

Yugi laughed triumphantly and looked at the stunned and horrified King and said. "How silly is it, that all brides must be snow white on their wedding day." A coy smile and the King realized all at once that he had been tricked. "It is so foolish and silly."

"Indeed." The imp scooped the boy into his lap, arched his back with pride, his eyes locked on the King and, commanding the crowed, boomed "I come to reclaim what has been stolen from me: My kingdom, my throne and my bride."

"WHO ARE YOU!" The King narrowed his eyes, furious and commanding, and his voice so shaky and full of hesitant authority.

"Do you not know?" spat Yugi, who ripped off his veil, revealing a dark smile and a triumphant glare. "He is the King of this tale, the King, who your brother loved and whose son you murdered and whose throne and life and family you took, and the true ruler of all these lands: King Atemu Yami Sennen."

Gasps filled the room. Many women swoon from distress, other simply just fainted. Men stumbled, tipsy with horror and shock. Many remained unnoticed as they slipped away, the Miller among them, sensing something terrible about to happen. Yugi couldn't tell is they were cowards or smart. But none was more surprise then Yami himself, the imp who was actually a King and suddenly, he felt the first of his seals break. All at once his memory returned, and he remembered being a child and running through the garden and playing in the spring, and pouting through lessons and learning to dance and to rule and of his mother who taught him to be kind and treat others well and that a King was made by the people who follow him, and of his father who was kind and just and taught him to fight and be strong and to never relent and to be ruthless, but to be wise and diplomatic and how diplomacy carried its own dangers equal to that of war. And he remembered himself as a young man who had become king and he remembered another woman, now long gone, and her kind eyes staring at him before she departed this world, and he remembered a child whom looked like him, but with eyes like the sea, and he remembered the man who was always at his side and made him smile and who above all else saw him as a man and not a king. And remembering all, he now knew who he was.

He smiled at Yugi lovingly and said "You are very, very clever, my wonderful darkling.

"NO!" Screamed the furious, mad, and drunk King who grabbed Yugi and said "I don't care who you are! I am the King and he will be my bride and make me rich and-" And he spun on his heels when Yugi delivered a sharp blow across his face and so stunned with shock was he to the ground he fell and too frightened was he to get up and too ashamed that he had been struck by a miller's boy, who only laughed and said "Do you want to know how the King broke the curse?" A devilish smile and eyes so confident the King felt an emotion bubble in his belly that hadn't in years—fear.

"To break the curse it must be transferred to another and to seal the pact," the imp now stood, commanding the attention of all in the room. "This person has to utter a single word—the name used to seal the King to his curse—a name so bizarre no one would ever be able to guess it."

Vaguely, the King remembered the night before, dimly he recalled the conversations that had been acted, horrifyingly, he understood the scheme, and when he looked at them and they looked at him, a smile slit both Yami and Yugi's faces and the trap snapped closed.

"Rumplestiltskin."

"NO!"

But it was too late, and suddenly the evil King Marik transformed into a terrible, deformed creature with terrible eyes sharp and slit like a snakes, terrible claws yellow, and decayed, and scales became his skin.

There were more screams. The courtiers ran. Those who remained were either too scared to leave, too stupid to, or too proud to be branded as cowards.

The true King fell as the smoke vanished from his body. He swooned forward and was caught by Yugi who looked at his lover and saw the imp was now a man, and his gold-dusted skin was now smoothed and ivory-gold, and his claws were short and pink and no longer long, and his blazing eyes that were impossibly bright were no longer flaming but still crimson, still beautiful and still filled with so much love and so delighted was he, that he was still the wonderful man he'd fallen for, that Yugi kissed his lover and hugged him tight.

A moan disturbed them. They gazed at the pitiful, growling creature who was Marik on the floor. Thought he did not deserve it, the new King took pity on him and said "Marik, you murdered my son, stole my throne, oppressed my people, squandered all your riches and taxed those less fortunate than you, enslaved my lover and sought to force him to make you rich and then to marry you against his will. You are a greedy, selfish monster who deserved death, however, I am a just man, so using your name, I change your curse. You will remain in this form, powerless and weak and never able to set foot in this palace or on these lands again, and only unless you learn what true power is and to overcome your greed, you shall never be human again."

And with that he sent the beast away and it vanished in a cloud of purple smoke. Then he lifted his bride into his arms and sat back on his throne. And so the King and his bride stood before the crowd and said "Now, we came here for a wedding and so one there shall be?"

And after the wedding the courtiers and the poor gathered about. Their faces wide with fear, some with disgust, others with confusion and disbelief. Their confusion was evident, as was the whole kingdom in the aftermath that was to come. For they were thrilled to be free of their terrible, selfish King, but all at once, they believed their first King was dead and did not know what to think of this new, powerful creature and his equally magical bride.

And so confused were they when the King and his bride rode into town with a cart of spindles, each one filled with threads of gold, and to their kingdom they said. "People, you have been oppressed long enough, but your King has been gone for so long and he knows not if he can continue to rule, so we offer you a choice. We shall give each family a bobbin of gold, to do with as you please, and with it you will have more than enough to leave this place and start somewhere new, or to remain and continue your lives in however you see fit. The choice is yours, no matter what you choose, you shall not be harmed, nor shall we allow you to come to harm, but the terrible King is gone and he will not come back, and neither the King nor his bride wish to return to the corrupted world of Kings."

And so the people pondered their options and took their bobbins of gold and many choose to leave for their kingdom had diminished under the reign of the terrible King, for so poor were they that they had no reason to stay and those who did were too poor to leave. And though they were grateful to this strange King and his strange bride, they knew too well the dangers of changing political ties, and feared the uncertainty of magic, and with no memories or ties to the dying kingdom they decided to there was no reason to stay.

And within a year, the dying kingdom was abandoned leaving on a castle who belonged to the King, who preferred to be called Yami, and his bride, who was called Yugi. And there they stayed left to their own devices to enjoy the early times of their marriage as husband and life.

It was no wonder that tales began to be told, or how it came to be distorted. Though it is quiet surprising how the tale became warped to tell the tale of the Evil King's curse, and the good King's freedom and the fate of the Miller's son. It's really to no one surprise that along with the multiple telling the roles were warped. But they cared not for the stories or for the tales or for the truth. It truly was such a silly thing to ponder, what the rest of the world thought when the truth was already known.

One night tangled in their sheets and naked limbs, the kissed and laughed and pondered.

"What shall we do now, my love?" Yugi giggled to his new husband, and pressed his cheek to his hand and lied on his side.

"Hmm…" pondered Yami, his fingers tapping his chin, free fingers twirling in the soft, silky tresses of his beloved bride. "We can do anything and everything." An arm slipped about Yugi's waist and dragged him back against a warm, firm chest, and tickled his exposed belly. "All you have to do is ask."

And Yugi pondered his words with a small smile and a content sight. What else could he ask for? What else could he ask of his wonderful, wonderful lover? His lover who had freed him from death, taught him all he needed to know to be strong and free? Helped him earn his justice and gave him all the passion he craved and all the love he wanted.

"What about you?" asked he, spinning in Yami's arms. Small hands pressed to Yami's check, pulled himself up and pressed his nose and forehead against that of his lover. "You have done so much for me, how could I possibly ask for more?" He said, eyes half closed with passion and gratitude and so much love. "How could I ask any more of you?"

Soft lips pressed against his and the passionate kiss entrapping his senses was his answer. Once more he was on his back, his trembling form entangled in his lover's arms. "I beg to differ, my little one," Yami pulled away. "You have saved me in more ways than one. I owe you everything and you are everything to me, and I promised until the end of my days that I would so anything to make you smile."

"But me too!" protested Yugi. "I don't want you to be my slave and spoil and feel indebted to me. I want to make you happy to."

And the imp blinked, then chuckled then laughed and said. "Oh, my little one, "He cupped his cheek and looked deep into amethyst eyes. "We want the same thing: we want the other to be happy and we want to be the one who makes them smile, because we love each other, but is that not the nature of love? To do everything within your power to make the one you love the most smile because just being with them makes you so happy you feel your very heart may burst?"

And Yugi felt his eyes damped at his words and with a loving smile, entangled a pale slender hand with firm, golden fingers. "Yes, it is, and that is the most terrifying and invigorating of all."

"Then let us love each other, my little one." He squeezed his hand and held him close. And it was Yugi who pressed his lips to his husbands and let him pull him close and set him down again, and they kissed and petted and tumbled with so much passion, that all they could do was laugh and smile, and when they paused in their play, Yugi rolled onto his lover's chest, the point of a pouty chin set in the curve of his folded hands and with big, innocent eyes he said. "Let's go some place, just you and me and let's see everything." With a slight lean, the promised was sealed with a kiss.

"Hmm, I'd like that," Yami moaned into the kiss. "But first I have a request."

"Anything," promised Yugi.

"I want you to visit my son's grave, for when he saved me the Sorcerer who cursed me took his body and gave it a proper burial in the forest by his home and promised me it would always be safe and remembered in that beautiful groove of trees. I want us to visit it, for I know he would have loved you, as I do."

And Yugi smiled at such heartfelt words and asked. "Of course, but tell me, what was his name?"

And Yami smiled, sadly but with fondness at the memory "Yusei, for when he was born, he was the single star that saved me from the lonely darkness of losing my wife and the lonely world of being a king."

A stray tear that he did not notice slipped from his eyes, but Yugi's comforting kiss wiped it away. He found his head resting on the boy's shoulder and his trembling body in the boy's comforting arms, and smiled at the comfort.

Coyly, he pressed a hand to his little one's belly and said. "You know, I still want my child, little one. _Our _child."

And Yugi giggled and plopped on the mattress and said. "Yes, so do I, but…" he paused and stroked his belly. "When it is born, can we name it Yusei?"

So stunned and happy was he to hear Yugi say those words that at first he could not speak, then with wet eyes he hugged his little wife and said. "I would be honored little one."

And Yugi giggled and with a coy smirk, he shoved his husband to his back, and so surprised was he that he fell back without protest and looked up to find his little wife leering at him. Coyly, Yami smirked and said. "But what do you wish for now, little one? You need but ask?"

"What I want?" Yugi leaned forward, teasingly. He answered with a rub of his nose, and blazing, fervent eyes. "I want you to kiss me, Yami. Kiss me, hold me, and make love to me until dawn breaks."

And they did all those thing, and without fear they traveled to many places and learned many skills and learned many spells, but it was a lonely life for many feared their magic and they could not stay in a singular place for long. But they made friends too, friends who loved them and cared not for their strange magic. And when it was time to return home, they returned to that abandoned castle and Kingdom and they lived in that old castle that was the place where they met and loved and lost and gained so much. And when their child was born, a beautiful little boy who looked so much like Yami, but with eyes so big and bright and a cross of blue and violet, they named him Yusei, after the son who Yami had lost, as a symbol of their new lives together. For they were the star that saved the other, and during those lonely times when the world rejected them, this little one was their reminder of the beauty and freedom with existed within isolation and darkness.

And they did not care for the conflicts of the world, for they had all they needed and all they ever wanted and as their son grew, they told him the story of how they met, and told him about the true power that they had learned and obtained. And how true power comes not from titles, or lands or wealth or from others suffering. No, it comes from one's self: for freedom is true power and having someone to make it worthwhile is more valuable than any price of gold.

* * *

Like I said, this one is VERY different from my others and i LOVE the twist. Like i said the Once Upon a Time episode inspired this! i always loved Cora as a bad guy so her story made SO much sense! Especially the origin of her brawl with snow white's mom: i think the reason Eva was so determined that Snow be "good" is because she regretted her own "bitchiness" as a girl (and boy was she) but I LOVED the idea of Rumplestilskin and the Miller's daughter being a pairing and come on who could NOT see Yami as a mischievous, fun-loving and magic-using imp with gold dusted skin? I based his appearance loosely based off Rumplestilskin in the show (personally I don't think he'd that bad looking) anyway, the one thing that bugged me: The King who was an ass told her to choose between love or power, yet SHE had HIS heart in her hands (literally) and she chose to take out her own heart? One thing I didn;t get, why couldn't she have both?

So i changed that ending...

Anyway I wanted to change the theme of Greed in the original fairytale and stick with the theme of power (or what people think it is) and that ended up being a theme throughout and honesrtly I think true power is what you make it: its the freedom to be yourself, when you take away people's ability to think they're better than you, you take away their power, of course, I won't lie being financially secure is also a sense of power and freedom in its own right, but if the world's economy is any indication that's not a guarantee either: hence why all that noise was also a theme in this story.

Personally i'm very proud of the ending since that took the most time and i wanted to make it clear that it was Yami Yugi loved and not his magic and vice-versa and i think it worked ^-^


End file.
